This annual award recognizes meaningful volunteer service to the community and/or the organization through computer-related activities.
Although nominees for the award may be professionals in the computer field, the focus of the award is on non-commercial activities.
The award is usually presented during the banquet at the annual Trenton Computer Festival.
HOTY was conceived in 1983 by the SIG/M SIG at ACGNJ and many of the early awards were given to those involved in distributing or writing public domain software.
In 1986, when interest in SIG/M had declined, the ACGNJ Board of Directors took over the responsibility of selecting the Hobbyist-of-the-Year.
Many thanks to Bob Todd who provided this history of the Hobbyist-of-the-Year award.
2021
David Soll
Please stay tuned for details...
2020
There was no Hobbyist-of-the-Year award presented this year due to COVID-19.
2019
Mike Redlich
Please stay tuned for details...
2018
Marty Rosenblum
Please stay tuned for details...
2017
Barry Burd
Barry was recognized for his long standing dedication to the club.
He has been a regular attendee of the ACGNJ Java Users Group since 2003 and currently serves as Vice-Chair.
Over the years, Barry has presented numerous talks at the club and at TCF.
He is also an established author having written numerous books on Java, Android, and Ruby.
2016
Annette Taylor
Annette was posthumously recongized for her work with the IEEE/ACM and for her outstanding work in coordinating the annual TCF IT Professional Conference.
2015
Roger Amidon
Roger was recognized as a true pioneer in the early days of computing.
2014
Keith Sproul
Keith was recognized for his work on the Mac Users Group.
2013
Robert D. Hawes
Bob has been a long-time, willing, contributing member of ACGNJ and TCF.
He helps out in whatever way he can at all the meetings he attends and has offered to construct custom equipment for the club.
Bob took over the responsibilities of editor for the ACGNJ Newsletter after Barbara DeGroot retired.
Bob also currently serves as ACGNJ Director.
2012
Barbara & Walter Degroot
Dual award to Barbara for her seventeen years of service as ACGNJ Newsletter Editor, and for her continuing service as Editor Emeritus (and Emergency Backup Publisher).
Awarded to Walter for his many contributions to the club over that same period, most recently helping to distribute older computers refurbished by our Hardware Workshop.
Even though the Hobbyist of the Year is an ACGNJ award, not a TCF award, it has traditionally been presented at the annual Trenton Computer Festival Banquet.
Unfortunately, this year Barbara and Walter were unable to attend TCF, so their plaque will be delivered to them at a later date.
2011
Andreas Meyer
Andy has been a promoter of Linux, UNIX and related OS in and for the club for many years.
He assumed responsibility of the LUNICS SIG when Peter Fillingham retired.
A group of faithful followers come regularly on the first Monday of the month to his Special Interest Group.
Andy has also been a supporting member of the MidAtlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists (MARCH) and InfoAge for many years.
He also RIDES! and has interest in ham radio N2FYE.
2010
Dr. Marvin Kurland
Dr. Marvin Kurland was a Professor of Electrical/Computer Engineering at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) for 25 years.
He recently passed away unexpectedly.
One of his passions was computers and robotics.
He was the adviser/coach of TCNJ's micromouse team.
A micromouse is a miniature self propelled robot that can find its way through a complex maze.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) every year holds contests in which awards are given for the fastest and best performing micromouse.
These contests are between student teams from regional universities and colleges.
Marvin Kurland's teams regularly won first place and had the best record of any university/college that competed in these contests.
In recognition Dr. Kurlan's contributions to the computer hobby resulting from his interest in computers and robotics, his dedication to his students and the development of a superior micromouse, he was selected for the 2010 Computer Hobbyist of the Year Award.
2009
Eric Hafler
Eric is an Apple/MAC enthusiast and one of the original computer hobbyists.
He is a member of several computer clubs.
Eric has been a Trenton Computer Festival (TCF) volunteer and committee member from the very beginning.
Even after PACS dropped out as a sponsor he continued to support TCF and was involved in the Steering Committee.
For the last few years he has chaired the Publicity Committee and was a major contributor to design and production of posters, media announcements and signs for TCF.
This year's festival would not be possible without his efforts.
He has contributed a huge amount of time and even offered his own funds to keep TCF going.
He definitely is worthy and deserving of the award.
I can think of no one more appropriate to receive it this year.
2009
Leonard W. Thomas
For outstanding efforts in volunteer coordination/supervision every year at the Trenton Computer Festival.
Lenny is usually one of the first people to arrive during the early morning hours and one of the last to leave on Saturday and Sunday to get vendors organized (load/unload, etc.) and direct other volunteers accordingly.
He has also served on the ACGNJ Board of Directors, and for the past few years as ACGNJ Historian.
This year, he bravely tackled the rampant chaos (out of date or completely missing information, etc.) left behind by Market Pro after they quit TCF.
He put in countless hours tracking down and signing up vendors, making extensive use of Bmailer (a bulk e-mail program written by Bruce Arnold for the ACGNJC/C++ Users Group) and Magic Jack (an Internet phone device that was PC Magazine's 2008 Product of the Year).
2008
Robert D. Hawes
Bob has been a long-time, willing, contributing member of ACGNJ and TCF.
He helps out in whatever way he can at all the meetings he attends and has offered to construct custom equipment for the club.
He is considered a contributing editor to the ACGNJ Newsletter with his numerous, entertaining articles on a variety of topics.
Bob currently serves as ACGNJ Director, a position to which he was most recently elected.
2007
Claude Kagan
Claude was honored for his efforts in the early years of hobbyist computing.
In 1965 he founded the R.E.S.I.S.T.O.R.S. (Radically Emphatic Students Interested in Science, Technology, and Other Research Subjects).
This was a club for high school students to stimulate their interest in digital computing.
They worked on obsolete digital computing systems located in a barn at Claude's home.
They also developed a programming language, SAM76, which ran on minicomputer, and later microcomputer systems.
They created a number of applications using the language.
Claude Kagan received a BME, BEE and MS from Cornell University.
Claude Kagan retired from AT&T and Western Electric, where he did research and development computer system technology and high-level language development.
He has been a member of the IEEE since the late 1940s and has more than 50 technical publications.
He received awards from both the IEEE and its Computer Society in 1984 for his many contributions to computing.
He was active in the American Institute of Electrical Engineers' computing devices and data communications committees.
He became vice-chairman of the American Institute of Electrical Engineer's (AIEE) Computing Devices Committee in 1959 and chairman in 1960.
He held that position throughout the formation of the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) in 1962.
He also chaired several AFIPS committees and served on the board of the National Joint Computer Conference (NJCC).
The Barn burned to the ground December 3rd, 2009, no one hurt but lots of ancient computer history lost.
RIP: April 26, 2012.
2006
Alex Goldfinger
Alex has been a charter member of the group.
In the past he has served as editor of the newsletter and always was ready to contribute and help with booth monitoring at the computer shows.
He served on the ACGNJ Board of Directors for many years.
I'm sure other members can contribute other attributes and contributions the Alex has made to the club.
2005
Ruth & Cass Lewart
Dual award to Ruth & Cass Lewart.
Both have been very
active computer hobbyists for nearly 30 years.
They were officers in the Bookdale User Group for many years and are also long-time members of ACGNJ.
In addition to speaking at TCF for many years, Cass has been a speaker at meetings of ACGNJ, PPCUG, and other computer clubs.
He is the author of several books about PC technologies and has contributed papers to the Trenton Computer Festival Annual Proceedings Book.
2004
Lennie Libes
Lennie has been involved in the creation and running of both The Amateur Computer Group of New Jersey and the Trenton Computer Festival for 30 years.
She has taken on the thankless background tasks that nobody wants to do because they needed doing, and has kept things moving smoothly with her expert handling and care.
2003
Frank Warren
Frank has been an outstanding member of ACGNJ for many years and a font of wisdom from a technical point of view and a member of the TCF Steering Committee.
He also stepped forward from Vice-President to President when Neil Sanford passed away followed by two successive elected terms as President.
Frank has given many presentations on banking, money, gold, and secure financial transactions, security with respect to Thawte, a secure ID certificate provider, and several on networking and wireless.
He has kept the club's Geneology SIG alive for several years.
2002
Arnold Milstein
Arnold has handled public relations for ACGNJ, making sure that the group is promoted at local computer shows.
He also takes care of the club equipment.
At special occasions, such as Microsoft events, he has often been first to volunteer to help, the first to arrive, and the last to leave.
When asked to do a job for the group, he rarely declines.
2001
Peter Fillingham
Peter was the leader of the LUNICS (a loose acronym representing the various forms of Unix-like systems) Special Interest Group of ACGNJ for many years, and has been an outspoken proponent of open-source programming Linux, and its Unix-like cousins.
2000
Jerry Entin
Jerry Entin, leader of the Concordia Group and member of the Trenton Computer Festival Steering Committee, was cited for his contributions to ACGNJ and the Trenton Computer Festival.
1999
John Raff
John has been a supporting member of the club for many years, working in the background on Facilities, Webmaster, Vice President, Board of Director, PC-Symposium Chair, and active in TCF.
1998
There was no Hobbyist-of-the-Year award presented this year.
1997
Scott Vincent
Scott started his group efforts in the Heath Group (now disbanded) and and his continued help with the Board of Directors, President of ACGNJ, and President of TCF.
1997
John Hampton
Posthumous award to his widow in recognition of his work for TCF.
1996
Charlie Arnold
For his long-term service to ACGNJ.
1995
Alan Bloom
Honored for his contributions on behalf of the hearing-impaired.
1994
Bill Snell
Honored for his long time contributions to personal computing, including running a BBS, working as TCF Festival Director, and for other accomplishments over a period of 18 years.
1993
Bruce Arnold
Honored for his work outside the computer group teaching others how to program, and for writing software to help people use personal computers to do things they would otherwise have been unable to do.
1992
Dave Raibert
SIG/M Treasurer.
1991
Al Katz
Honored for his work in creating and perpetuating the Trenton Computer Festival.
1990
Robert Todd
SIG/M Distribution Coordinator.
1989
Fred Gohlke
Honored for revitalizing the ACGNJ Newsletter.
1988
Hank Kee
SIG/M Librarian.
1987
Steve Leon
SIG/M Editor.
1986
Sol Libes
For his championing of public domain software in his magazines, despite losing advertising from software manufacturers who saw public domain software as a threat.
The tradition of honoring distributors of public domain software was continued with the awards for 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1992.
1985
Harold McIntosh
Of University of Mexico City.
With students, wrote the Regular Expression Compiler, an equivalent of Unix shell script processing, particularly in the parsing of Unix regular expressions for CP/M.
1984
Rich Conn
SIG/M, awarded for the same reason.
He created major portions of the first ZCPR and all of ZCPR2 and ZCPR3, putting all of the code into the public domain.
1983
Ward Christensen
The first Hobbyist-of-the-Year, creator of MODEM7, which was the first generally successful PC modem program and enabled users to download files from his bulletin board system, which was the first BBS.
His award was for making this software available to everyone.
