September 16 , 2004 Print this page

John C. Carrow, CIO of Unisys, First to Receive La Salle University's "I.T. Leadership Award"

John C. Carrow, Chief Information Officer and Vice President, Information Technology at Unisys Corporation, who helped usher the city of Philadelphia into the information age, is the first recipient of La Salle University’s “I.T. Leadership Award” for his contributions to the field.

Carrow will receive the award at an October 13th ceremony and panel discussion at the University.

“Honestly, I was very honored and flattered when I heard about it,” says Carrow. “When technologists receive an award, it’s always appreciated. In terms of productivity, technology has done a great deal for businesses, communities and individuals alike. To receive an award one from an institution like La Salle is a special honor. It’s one of the finest schools in this region, and this recognition was personally very rewarding.”

Carrow was first introduced to computing while in the Army. The service sent him to the University of Illinois’ graduate school to study the nascent technology.

“There weren’t many computer science departments then,” says Carrow. “All the course work was divided between the electrical engineering and mathematics departments. Not too many people knew much about computer systems at that time.”

After graduating, the Army assigned him to computer systems command, where he developed large-scale logistics and personnel systems.

He joined General Electric after leaving the service. He then took a position with the city of Philadelphia as CIO.

“When I started, computer use among city employees was limited,” says Carrow. “Out of a workforce of 25,000, fewer than 1,000 were computer users. We introduced a great deal of technology and computer training during my time as CIO. When I left, 15,000 city employees were using computers. Nearly everything the city touched, we computerized, including the court system, prisons, health and human services, the water department, the streets department, all the way to installing personal computers in police vehicles. It was a thrill.”

A native of Crystal City, Missouri, Carrow was graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He rose to the rank of Major and was a decorated Vietnam War combat veteran.

He was one of the first computer executives who La Salle turned to when it started a Master’s program in Computer Information Science.

Dr. Margaret McManus, then director of the program, asked Carrow to head up the program's first advisory board. That board has also served in an advisory capacity for the Mathematics and Computer Science Department, in the development of the graduate program in Information Technology Leadership and when the undergraduate curricula in math and computer science was revised.

“As the first Chairman of the Computer Science Advisory Board when IT Leadership was formed in 1995, John helped to launch the Board with an excellent foundation,” says McManus, now Associate Dean for La Salle’s School of Arts and Sciences. “His leadership enabled us to establish a board of prestigious leaders and to set the direction for IT Leadership’s agenda. As the first speaker in our Computer Information Science Lecture Series, his lecture on "Information Technology Modernization in Philadelphia" served as a fine example to our students of his commitment to the improvement of technology services.”

The I.T. Leadership Award was established to recognize those who have made a positive impact on business, government or education through the advancement of Information Technology; made a significant contribution to the community through proven information technology leadership in business, education, government or civic affairs; supported creativity and originality in Information Technology; demonstrated a commitment to traditional Lasallian values; and served as an outstanding example to all students pursuing their goals in the field of Information Technology.

Following the presentation of the award to Carrow, La Salle’s Computer Science Advisory Board will present a panel discussion on Information Technology Outsourcing. The function will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held at La Salle’s Student Union Building.