Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. was established in 1968 by David Evans and Ivan Sutherland, computer science professors at the University of Utah. Both theorized that computers could be used as simulators by using graphics technology.

Evans, a U. grad, began his career at the Bendix Corp., where he led the development of the G20, one of the first commercially viable computer products. In the early 1960s, he went to the University of California at Berkeley to become a professor and mentor and later made his way back to the U. as a professor.

Before coming to Utah, Sutherland worked on research projects at the Department of Defense, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His MIT work included pioneering a graphics system called Sketchpad, which demonstrated interactive graphics for the first time. At Harvard, he devised the first head-mounted display, demonstrating in 1967 what is now called virtual reality.

Evans and Sutherland hooked up to launch E&S in 1968 in Army barracks near the U. campus. Evans remained at the U. until 1972, when he began spending all of his time on the company.

The 1970s featured an E&S partnership with British simulation company Rediffusion, giving E&S exclusive rights to provide visual systems for Rediffusion's commercial flight training simulators.

In 1978, the company went public with a listing on the Nasdaq exchange.

Evans retired in 1994 and died in 1998.

Sutherland led the computer science department at the California Institute of Technology from 1976 to 1980. He then co-founded a consulting firm that later was bought by Sun Microsystems Inc. He is currently vice president and fellow at Sun.