Nolan Bushnell Wu stated, "Nolan Bushnell deserves to be honored, but this is not the right time for it. It's easy to draw a line between the culture he created at Atari and the structural sexism women in tech face today." The hashtag "#NotNolan" was shared by those with similar complaints about the GDC's choice. The following day, the Advisory Committee reconsidered the selection of Bushnell for the award and announced the Pioneer Award would not be awarded, and instead it would be used that year to "honor the pioneering and unheard voices of the past". GDC further stated that they believed
William C. Dabney William C. Dabney William Cecil Dabney (1894–1963) was an American industrialist and the first soldier from Louisville, Kentucky injured during World War I. Dabney co-founded the Jones-Dabney manufacturer of paints. Dabney was born to Samuel G. Dabney and Louise Higgins Allen Dabney in Louisville on November 20, 1894. After attending public schools in Louisville, Davney completed his high school education at the Morristown School (now Morristown-Beard School) in Morristown, New Jersey. He then studied at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia from 1912 to 1913. Dabney served as vice president and general manufacturer of the Jenkins Graphite Lubrication Company