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By Chloe Attrell
Collection Overview
Title: Forest Linton Papers, 1968-2003
ID: 26/20/273
Extent: 4.0 cubic feet
Date Acquired: 01/01/2025
Subjects: Advertising, Computer Software, Fraternity Alumni, Interfraternity Council, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Languages: English, Japanese
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Papers of Forest Linton (1968-2002; B.S. Advertising, 1993). Contains papers and materials concerning his business activities (Hobbico, Forlin Publishing and Greek Guide, Koyosha Graphics, and Microsoft Japan), his articles published in Excellence (1989), Computing Japan (1994-1998), and Internet User (1995-1996) magazines, scrapbooks assembled by his mother (Norma Linton; see the Norma J. Linton Papers, Record Series 26/20/279) which document Forest’s professional activities, as well as personal papers which include correspondence, photographs, journals from his childhood through his adulthood.
This collection is organized into three series. Series 1: Professional Life - U.S. contains 3 sub-series, all arranged alphabetically: 1. Early Career and Professional Activities, 2. Forlin Publishing: Administration, Business Activities, and Plans, and 3. Forlin Publishing: Greek Guide. Series 2: Professional Life - Japan contains 5 sub-series, all arranged alphabetically: 1. Japan Job Search and Business Notes, 2. Koyosha Graphics, 3. Microsoft Japan, 4. Forest’s Columns in Japanese Publications, and 5. Japanese Publications with Advertisements, Articles, and Interviews Featuring Forest. Series 3: Personal Papers is arranged chronologically.
Collection Historical Note
Born in 1968, Forest Linton was a local of Urbana, Illinois, and received his B.S. in Advertising from the University during the winter of the 1992-1993 academic year. He was the son of fellow University of Illinois alumna and employee, Norma Linton. While attending the University of Illinois, he financed most of his tuition and living expenses by working various jobs and opening his own business, Forlin Publishing. Through this company he published “Greek Guide” from 1990-1993, which was a directory for students involved in Greek Life. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and served on the Advertising Committee of the Inter-Fraternity Council.
After graduating, Linton moved to Japan to work in software technology. By 1994, he began working for Koyosha Graphics. He published monthly columns in Computing Japan from 1994-1998, and in Internet User Magazine from 1995-1996, reporting about emergent software technologies and internet phenomena. He then worked for Microsoft Japan from 1996-2002. While at Microsoft, he had a significant role in the marketing and business development of Internet Explorer 4.0 in Japan. He received multiple awards for his accomplishments at Microsoft, including awards and gifts directly from Bill Gates. He additionally served as vice chairman of the Japanese Internet Advertisers Association and on the Board of Directors of CarPoint KK.
Subject/Index Terms
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Professional Life: United States, 1976, 1985-1994],
[Series 2: Professional Life: Japan, 1993-2002],
[
Series 3: Personal Papers],
[
All]
- Series 2: Professional Life: Japan, 1993-2002
- This series contains five sub-series, all pertaining to Forest's career in Japan. While in Japan, he worked for Koyosha Graphics and later Microsoft. He additionally published a regular column in the magazine Computing Japan and maintained a website about living in Japan and technology. Each sub-series is arranged alphabetically.
- Sub-Series 1: Japan Job Search and Business Notes, 1993-2002
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Correspondence: Job Search in Japan, 1993
- Folder 2: Notebooks: Business Notes, 1995-1997
- Folder 3: Notebooks: Business-Related (1 of 2), ca. 1993-2002
- Folder 4: Notebooks: Business-Related (2 of 2), ca. 1993-2002
- Folder 5: Resume of Qualifications and Job Letter, 1993-2002
- Sub-Series 2: Koyosha Graphics, 1993-1996
- Box 2
- Folder 6: Journal Notes: Work for Koyosha Graphics, ca. 1993-1995
- Folder 7: Scrapbook (In Binder): Forest Linton Japan Work Koyosha, 1993-1996
- Scrapbook assembled by Norma Linton, Forest's mother. Contains I. Work Search History and II. Work Life and Koyosha (Part 1)
- Folder 8: Scrapbook (In Binder): Forest Linton Japan Work Life: Koyosha (Part 2), 1994-1996
- Scrapbook assembled by Norma Linton, Forest's mother. Work Life and Koyosha (Part 2).
- Folder 9: Scrapbook (In Binder): Koyosha Graphics, 1994-1996
- Scrapbook assembled by Norma Linton.
- Sub-Series 3: Microsoft Japan, 1995-2002
- Box 2
- Folder 10: AJALT Private Japanese Language Lessons - Provided by Microsoft, 1999-2000
- Folder 11: Correspondence with Microsoft Associates, 2001-2002
- Folder 12: Directions on Microsoft - Corporate Organization, 2001
- Folder 13: Empowerment Leadership - Participant's Guide (with Forest's Annotations), 2001
- Folder 14: Meeting and Presentation with Bill Gates, 1996-2001
- Folder 15: Microsoft Business Cards and Meeting Notes, 2000-2002
- Folder 16: Microsoft: Business Correspondence, Notes, and Presentations (English and Japanese), ca. 1996-2002
- Folder 17: Microsoft: Business Ideas, Notes, and Plans, 2001-2002
- Folder 18: Microsoft: Internet Explorer 4.0 Booklet and Notes, ca. 1997-1998
- Folder 19: Microsoft Internet Marketing Day Photographs, ca. 1996-2002
- Folder 20: MSN Japan: Business Plans and Presentations, 1998-2002
- Folder 21: Scrapbook: Advertising and Promotion of Internet Explorer 4.0, 1997-1998
- Scrapbook assembled by Norma Linton.
- Folder 22: Scrapbook: Awards and Gifts Presented to Forest Linton, 1997-2001
- Scrapbook assembled by Norma Linton.
- Folder 23: "What it Takes" Microsoft Article, ca. 1995
- Folder 24: Windows Magazine: Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 (In Japanese), ca. 1996-2002
- Sub-Series 4: Forest's Articles and Columns in Japanese Publications, 1994-2002
- Box 2
- Folder 25: A Collection of Columns/Articles by Forest Linton, 1995-2002
- Assembled by Norma Linton.
- Folder 26: Computing Japan, 1994
- Vol. 1: No. 7, December.
- Folder 27: Computing Japan, 1995
- Vol. 2: No. 1, January; No. 3, March; No. 4, April; No. 7, July; No. 10, November; No. 11, December.
- Folder 28: Computing Japan, 1996
- Vol. 3: No. 2, February/March.
- Folder 29: Computing Japan, 1997
- Vol. 4: No. 8, August.
- Folder 30: Computing Japan (1 of 2), 1998
- Vol. 5: No. 1, January; No. 2 February; No. 3, March; No. 4, April; No. 5, May.
- Folder 31: Computing Japan (2 of 2), 1998
- Vol. 5: No. 7, July; No. 9, September; No. 10, October; No. 11, November; No. 12, December.
- Folder 32: Computing Japan, 1999
- Vol. 6: No. 1, January; No. 4, April.
- Folder 33: The Digital Forest: "Money on the Net Part 1" Web Article in Computing Japan, 1999
- Folder 34: "The Forest" Website and Computing Japan Column, 1994-1995
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Scrapbook: Forest's Computing Japan Articles, 1994-1999
- Folder 2: Scrapbook: Forest Linton's Japanese Publications, 1995-1997
- Scrapbook assembled by Norma Linton.
- Sub-Series 5: Japanese Publications with Advertisements, Articles, and Interviews Featuring Forest, 1994-2000
- Box 3
- Folder 3: Excerpts of Articles about Forest, ca. 1997-1998
- Folder 4: Internet ASCII Magazine (In Japanese), 1998
- Vol. 3 No. 1. See page 186 for article featuring Forest.
- Folder 5: Internet Magazine - Includes Interview with Forest (In Japanese), 1995
- No. 10. See page 99 for interview with Forest.
- Folder 6: Internet Magazine (In Japanese), 1997
- Special issue with photograph of Forest for Microsoft Internet Explorer promotion on page 1; No. 8, "Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview" pages 250-277, including interview with Forest (pages 276-277).
- Folder 7: Scrapbook: Interviews and Photos of Forest Linton in Japanese Publications, 1994-2000
- Assembled by Norma Linton.
- Folder 8: Japanese Magazines Featuring Articles about Forest, 1998
- Folder 9: Japanese Magazines Featuring Forest (1 of 2), 1997
- Folder 10: Japanese Magazines Featuring Forest (2 of 2), 1997
- Folder 11: Japanese Magazines Featuring Forest, 1998
- Folder 12: MicroCampus Japanese Newsletter - Issues Featuring Forest, 1997-1998, 2000
- Folder 13: Netn@vi Magazine: Issues Featuring Articles about Forest, 1997
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Professional Life: United States, 1976, 1985-1994],
[Series 2: Professional Life: Japan, 1993-2002],
[
Series 3: Personal Papers],
[
All]
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