Don Chamberlin

Don Chamberlin, also known as Donald D. Chamberlin, is a notable American computer scientist primarily recognized for his pivotal role in the development of the SQL (Structured Query Language). He was born in San Jose, California, and completed his undergraduate studies in engineering at Harvey Mudd College before earning both an MSc and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.2

Professional Background

Chamberlin's career began at IBM, where he worked for nearly 38 years, primarily at the Almaden Research Center. He was instrumental in the creation of SQL alongside Raymond Boyce during the mid-1970s, which became the first commercially successful language for relational databases. His contributions extended to managing IBM's System R project, which implemented SQL and advanced relational database technology.21 He was appointed an IBM Fellow in 2003 and retired from IBM in 2008.

After his retirement, he served as a Regent's Professor at UC Santa Cruz for a year and has since been involved in various educational and volunteer activities while enjoying time with his grandchildren.13 In addition to his work on SQL, Chamberlin contributed to the development of XQuery, an XML query language, and has authored numerous technical papers and books on database technologies.2

Current Status

As of now, Don Chamberlin identifies as a Grandfather and Retired, focusing on learning, teaching, traveling, and volunteer work since 2008. His LinkedIn profile reflects this transition into retirement while still valuing educational pursuits and family time.13

Chamberlin has received several accolades for his contributions to computer science, including election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1997 and recognition as an ACM Fellow and IEEE Fellow. In 2009, he was honored by the Computer History Museum for his foundational work on SQL.2