George Pake (April 1, 1924 – March 4, 2004) was a physicist and research executive primarily known for helping found Xerox PARC. Pake earned his bachelors and masters degrees from the Carnegie Institute of Technology and his doctorate in physics at Harvard University in 1948.
After four years as a physics professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Pake became the head of the physics department at age 28. He later went on to become provost of the university from 1962 to 1970 before leaving to serve as founding director of Xerox PARC.
PARC assembled a first-rate collection of research talent, especially in the area of computer science. During Dr. Pake's years running Xerox PARC, the research center invented the laser printer and pioneered the use of a computer "desktop" which functioned by clicking on "icons." This has since become the computer industry standard.
If the Xerox Corporation never chose to open a computer division, it was through no lack of advocacy by George Pake.
Pake was a recipient of the National Medal of Science in 1987 and continued to visit PARC long after his 1986 retirement from Xerox.
George Pake died of multiple systems failure on March 4, 2004 in Tucson, Arizona.