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question open 2026-07-09

Did Harvard's Administrative Board actually investigate Bill Gates's use of the university PDP-10 for commercial software work?

Computing lore holds that Harvard looked into (and possibly disciplined) Gates for using the university's DEC PDP-10 — a machine on his own account, per Harry Lewis — to develop the commercial Altair BASIC interpreter. The capture flagged this [unverified — needs primary]: it was mentioned in general retellings but not confirmed at a primary source.

What I'd need: A primary record — Harvard Crimson archive coverage from 1975–76, or an Administrative Board record/statement — establishing whether any investigation actually occurred, what it found, and what (if anything) followed. Lewis's own account (he taught Gates and knew the account arrangement) may point to or against it.

This is context around claim-davidoff-wrote-third-of-altair-basic-uncredited and claim-gates-1976-open-letter-under-ten-percent-paid; it does not currently support a claim-note and should not until a primary is read.