Robert Morris

Robert Morris, 78, a cryptographer who helped develop the Unix computer operating system, which controls an increasing number of the world's computers, died Sunday in Lebanon, N.H. The cause was complications of dementia, his wife, Anne Farlow Morris, said. Known as an original thinker in computer science, Mr. Morris also played an important clandestine role in planning what was probably the nation's first cyberwar: the electronic attacks on Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government in the months leading up to the Persian Gulf War of 1991.

Dallas Green deflected a potential game-winning shot then sank two free throws with 7 seconds left as Robert Morris beat Quinnipiac, 52-50, last night in Hamden, Conn., for its second straight Northeast Conference championship and an automatic NCAA berth. Freshman Karon Abraham scored 16 points to lead the Colonials (23-11), and Green and Russell Johnson each added nine. This will be Robert Morris' seventh trip to the NCAA tournament. James Feldeine had 17 points for Quinnipiac (23-9)

With his team having gone through the NCAA tournament experience last season, Robert Morris coach Mike Rice figures it's time to present a challenge to his 15th-seeded Colonials: make history in today's game against Villanova in the first round of the NCAA South Regional. Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 16 seeds per region in 1985, the team seeded 15th has defeated the No. 2 seed just four times against 96 losses. The feat hasn't been done since 2001, when Hampton defeated Iowa State, 58-57.

Russell Johnson is feeling a little more comfortable today, after signing to attend Robert Morris on a full basketball scholarship next fall. The 6-6 senior forward just finished a stellar career at Chester High, playing a key role in the Clippers' 33-1 season and their second PIAA Class AAAA state championship in 4 years. Johnson selected Robert Morris, a school just outside Pittsburgh that plays in the Northeast Conference, over George Washington, La Salle, Temple and Marshall.

THREE COLLEGES based in Florida had been making overtures to Britton Lee because of his basketball skills. Monday night, however, the 5-10, 175-pound guard from Roman Catholic made an oral commitment to Robert Morris, in Pittsburgh. That might seem like a curious move, especially since Lee is a junior, but it makes every last bit of sense to him. "Why am I doing this? Because of all the loyalty they've shown," Lee said. "They've been after me since 2 years ago. And they were my very first offer.

That might seem like a curious move, especially since Lee is a junior, but it makes every last bit of sense to him. "Why am I doing this? Because of all the loyalty they've shown," Lee said. "They've been after me since 2 years ago. And they were my very first offer. Any time they've been able to call me [by NCAA rule], they've done it. And any time they've been able to see me play [in AAU events], they've done that, too. "With my AAU team, Team Final, I've recently been to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Hampton, Virginia.

In a game littered with turnovers and poor shooting, Robert Morris finally pulled away as they knocked off La Salle, 51-44, at the Palestra on Friday afternoon. Ramon Galloway missed the first of a one-and-one with 25 seconds left as the Explores failed to cut the Robert Morris lead to one. The Colonials were fouled on the inbounds pass and sank both free throws to put the game away. Trailing by three, Earl Pettis lunged for a steal and instead was assessed a foul to send Robert Morris to the line.

David Appolon entered the summer hoping to draw attention from major college basketball programs. As things stood recently, however, his pursuers included Robert Morris, Mount St. Mary's, Long Island and Austin Peay. "What it came down to," he said, "was going into the season and trying to see what else could happen or making my decision now and going with a school that I knew really wanted me. "I competed hard for my summer team, Team Philly, but things didn't go too great for us. Since I was the point guard and the ball was in my hands, [the lack of success]

Elizabeth J. Morris Ebert, 76, a retired New Jersey state employee who was a descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, died Saturday at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton Township, N.J. She had moved to Hamilton Township from Morrisville in 1974. Mrs. Ebert was born in Morrisville, a direct descendant of Robert Morris, for whom Morrisville Borough was named. He was one of only six people who signed both the Declaration and the Constitution.

They met on the ballroom floor eight years ago and haven't stopped dancing since. "We were doing the tango," said Robert Morris of Lansdowne, about the Victorian dance event in Cape May where he met his future wife, Katherine Terzi. "It's still one of our favorite dances. " In their professional lives, Morris is a biochemist and Widener University professor, while Terzi is a horticulturist with the U.S. Forest Service in Radnor. Their passion is vintage dancing, particularly the lost or little- remembered dances.

Jordan Reed, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior wing guard at Wissahickon, has committed to play his college basketball at Binghamton. Reed, an Inquirer fourth-team all-Southeastern Pennsylvania selection, also considered Long Island, Canisius, Wagner, Robert Morris, and Siena. Earlier this week, Binghamton tabbed Scranton native Tommy Dempsey, who had coached at Rider for seven seasons, to replace former Temple star Mark Macon as coach. "Rider had recruited me, so I'm familiar with Coach Dempsey," Reed said.

THREE COLLEGES based in Florida had been making overtures to Britton Lee because of his basketball skills. Monday night, however, the 5-10, 175-pound guard from Roman Catholic made an oral commitment to Robert Morris, in Pittsburgh. That might seem like a curious move, especially since Lee is a junior, but it makes every last bit of sense to him. "Why am I doing this? Because of all the loyalty they've shown," Lee said. "They've been after me since 2 years ago. And they were my very first offer.

THREE COLLEGES based in Florida had been making overtures to Britton Lee because of his basketball skills. Monday night, however, the 5-10, 175-pound guard from Roman Catholic made an oral commitment to Robert Morris, in Pittsburgh. That might seem like a curious move, especially since Lee is a junior, but it makes every last bit of sense to him. "Why am I doing this? Because of all the loyalty they've shown," Lee said. "They've been after me since 2 years ago. And they were my very first offer.

That might seem like a curious move, especially since Lee is a junior, but it makes every last bit of sense to him. "Why am I doing this? Because of all the loyalty they've shown," Lee said. "They've been after me since 2 years ago. And they were my very first offer. Any time they've been able to call me [by NCAA rule], they've done it. And any time they've been able to see me play [in AAU events], they've done that, too. "With my AAU team, Team Final, I've recently been to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Hampton, Virginia.

After showing strides early in the season, La Salle suffered a setback Friday in a 51-44 loss to Robert Morris at the Palestra as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. Even though they held a distinct height advantage, the Explorers (2-3) were outrebounded, 45-30. Their shooting wasn't much better, just 31 percent from the field, including 3 for 22 from three-point range. La Salle coach John Giannini said the rebounding margin was the "biggest problem he had" and a "gigantic problem.

In a game littered with turnovers and poor shooting, Robert Morris finally pulled away as they knocked off La Salle, 51-44, at the Palestra on Friday afternoon. Ramon Galloway missed the first of a one-and-one with 25 seconds left as the Explores failed to cut the Robert Morris lead to one. The Colonials were fouled on the inbounds pass and sank both free throws to put the game away. Trailing by three, Earl Pettis lunged for a steal and instead was assessed a foul to send Robert Morris to the line.

Each time Robert Morris inched closer, Zack Rosen was waiting for them. No matter what the Colonials tried, they couldn't shake the Penn senior guard. They switched defenders. They tried to force him to his off hands. They tried to force him inside. All came to no avail on Saturday night as Rosen led the Quakers (4-1) to a 66-60 nonconference win at the Palestra. "We tried to see where we could exploit them," said Rosen, a senior guard. "We tried to go option-to-option. If they were taking away this, we would go to that.

JEFF GORDON was sliding all over the track those final 10 laps, doing everything he could to hold off five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Gordon held on at the end yesterday, taking the checkered flag for his third win of the year and 85th of his career. "I've been trying to step it up for 10 years," Gordon said, referring to the decade he's gone since the last of his four season championships, a period when he ceded dominance to his teammate Johnson.

By Charles Rappleye With Congress and the White House at odds over the question of debt, it may be reassuring, even instructive, to consider that our nation was embroiled in a crisis over public debt at the very dawn of its history. In fact, the delegates' primary motive in convening the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to sort out vexing questions of debt and taxes. The debt in question was owed by the American rebels to the governments of France and Holland, two key allies that had provided funds to support Washington's army.