Patrick,
I studied compilers building for several years and then I built a first prototype (it used no virtual machine, just pure native code generation -same working model as the "Force" compiler from "Sophco"-), I named it "Five". Then I decided to start a new one using a virtual machine and it was the seed for Harbour 
Based on the Linux success, I decided to make it open source and proposed a project: the Harbour project. Great people joined the project and my dream became reality
The Clipper language will be alive for many years to come