“Kibernetikai gépek” is the title of a book by Nemes Tihamér. This title alone hints at the fascinating mind we celebrate today. We stand here to honor Dr. Nemes Tihamér. He was a pioneer in Hungarian cybernetics and computer science.
Nemes Tihamér was born in Budapest in 1895. He died in Budapest in 1960. His life spanned a period of immense technological change. He embraced it all with remarkable vision.
After graduating from the Budapest University of Technology in 1917, he briefly worked at the Lloyd Aircraft Factory. He then joined the Telephone Herald. He rose to become its chief engineer. Later he became director of Elektromos és Finommechanikai Rt at the young age of 30.
From 1929, Nemes Tihamér worked at the Postal Experiment Station. In the mid-1930s, he began studying television. He explored it in theory and practice. He participated in early experiments in Hungary. In 1938, he filed a patent for color television.
After 1950, he became a scientific associate at the Telecommunications Research Institute. Nemes Tihamér was deeply interested in electrical engineering and logic. He liked simulation and modeling. Above all, he loved logical machines. His chess-playing machines modeled human thinking. Many of his television patents simulated human eye functions. As a postal engineer, he helped create Hungarian television. In 1953, he created the first Hungarian experimental TV transmitter.
Nemes Tihamér’s book on cybernetic machines has a special chapter about computers. Because of his work, he is a pioneer of Hungarian computer science. The technical sciences awarded him a doctorate in 1957.
Friends compiled his book after his death from his notes. They wanted to honor the “misunderstood” Hungarian inventor. The Nemes Tihamér National IT competition is named after him. This keeps his memory alive.
Think for a moment about the scope of his work. From aircraft to television to computers. Nemes Tihamér explored the cutting edge. He explored the future. He wasn’t just an inventor. He was a visionary. Nemes Tihamér helped shape the world we live in today.