How Eudora got its Name
Eudora Tip #91/25-July-2001

In 1988 electronic messaging was in its infancy. Steve Dorner, a computer programmer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, developed an innovative free program with a graphical user interface which made email easy to use.

The working name was UIUCMail, which Dorner realized was a tongue twister. Then he remembered a short story written by Eudora Welty titled “Why I Live at the P.O.” [Miss Welty was a short story writer and novelist who with other Southern writers of her generation made Southern writing a dominant force in 20th century American literature.]

Her story is about a woman who decides to live at the post office where she works rather than put up with her family at home any longer. Dorner was processing so much email at the time that he felt like he lived at the post office, and his program used a “post office” protocol to fetch mail, so he saw a metaphorical connection.

Naming the program after a living author could have become awkward for Dorner and any future licensees. Fortunately, Ms. Welty was flattered and amused by the allusion to her and her work. Eudora email is currently used by more than 20 million users worldwide.

Eudora Welty was born April 13, 1909, in Jackson, Missouri. On Monday, 23 Jul 2001 she died at the age of 92.

Information gleaned from:

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38658-2001Jul23.html>

<http://www.eudora.com/presskit/backgrounder.html>