Alan Ashton (executive)

Alan C. Ashton, (born 1942) Co-Founder, WordPerfect Corporation; Professor, Brigham Young University. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [ [http://famousmormons.net/computers.html Famous Mormons Mathematicians ] ] .

Infobox Scientist


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name = Alan Ashton
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birth_date = 1942
birth_place = Salt Lake City
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citizenship = United States
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field = Computer science
bioinformatics
work_institutions = WordPerfect Corporation
alma_mater = University of Utah
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known_for = WordPerfect
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religion = Mormon
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WordPerfect

Ashton began his work in computer science in the University of Utah, studying computing and music in the early 1970s. In 1977 Ashton began work on word processing when he created a spec for an improved console-based word processor. His spec outlined various innovations at the time, including continuous documents, function key shortcuts, modeless editing, and primitive WYSIWYG formatting. Along with Bruce Bastian, his student, Ashton incorporated "Satellite Software International", which would later become WordPerfect Corporation, in September 1979.In 1987, Ashton left BYU to serve full time as president and CEO of WordPerfect Corporation.

Ashton ran WordPerfect as a triumvirate, along with Bastian and W.E. (“Pete”) Peterson. Ashton and Bastian each controlled 49.5% of the company, and Peterson controlled 1%. While Ashton was the titular head of WordPerfect, Peterson ran the day-to-day operations, and was frequently misinterpreted as the head of the company by the press. Ashton's management style was hands-off. At one point, the entire development organization of WordPerfect reported directly to him. Peterson asserts that he was agreeable and preferred to avoid contention.

In 1990 Ashton was identified by Forbes magazine as one of the 400 wealthiest individuals in the U.S.

Ashton joined the Novell Corporation Board of Directors in 1994, and resigned in 1996.

Ashton is unrelated to Ashton-Tate, a database company and contemporary of WordPerfect in the 1980s. Ashton is the grandson of late Mormon Church president David O. McKay. His mother, Emma Rae McKay Ashton, was named after her mother. Alan Ashton served as a missionary in Central Germany as a young man. [LDS Church News, February 14th, 2004 p. Z12]

In April 1999 Dr. Alan C. Ashton founded ASH Capital. A venture investment company controlled by Dr Ashton and managed by James Savas and David Harkness.

Thanksgiving Point

After WordPerfect was acquired by Novell and Ashton’s responsibilities were alleviated, he and his wife founded Thanksgiving Point. Thanksgiving Point is located in Lehi, Utah, within 20 miles of WordPerfect’s former corporate headquarters in Orem.

“We wanted to create something for the people around us," says Ashton. "We've been blessed financially and with a large family. We wanted to give something back to the community and the families in our area.”

Today, Thanksgiving Point provides the community with a place where adults and children can learn about farming, gardening and cooking. Additionally, Thanksgiving Point provides the community with a championship caliber golf course, a museum of ancient life and a movie theater.

Mission President

Alan Ashton served as a mission president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormons) in western Ontario from July 2004 through June 2007; this mission is called the Canada Toronto West Mission. [LDS Church News, March 6th, 2004]

References

External links

* [http://www.wordplace.com/ap/ Almost Perfect]
* [http://www.lib.utah.edu/gould/1994/author94.html University of Utah Ashton Bio]
* [http://www.novell.com/news/press/archive/1996/12/pr96221.html Ashton's Novell Resignation]
* [http://www.thanksgivingpoint.com/information/history.html History of Thanksgiving Point]