<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------ ----------------------------
FORM 3 OMB APPROVAL
- ------ ----------------------------
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OMB Number: 3235-0104
Washington, D.C. 20549 Expires: September 30, 1998
Estimated average burden
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES hours per response.......0.5
----------------------------
Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(Print or Type Responses)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Date of Event 4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Requiring Statement
(Month/Day/Year) Tera Computer Company (TERA)
Johnson Kenneth W. ------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------ 5. Relationship of Reporting Person 6. If Amendment,
(Last) (First) (Middle) 09/15/97 to Issuer Date of Original
(Check all applicable) (Month/Day/Year)
c/o Tera Computer Company ---------------------------
2815 Eastlake Avenue East 3. IRS or Social Director 10% Owner -----------------------
------------------------------------------ Security Number of --- --- 7. Individual or Joint
(Street) Reporting Person /Group Filing
(Voluntary) X Officer Other (Check Applicable
--- (give title --- (specify Line)
Seattle WA 98102 below) below) X Form filed by One
------------------------------------------ Chief Financial Officer & --- Reporting Person
(City) (State) (Zip) VP-Finance Form filed by More
---------------------------- than One Reporting
--- Person
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE I -- NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES BENEFICIALLY OWNED
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
1. Title of Security 2. Amount of Securities 3. Ownership 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial
(Instr. 4) Beneficially Owned Form: Direct (D) Ownership (Instr. 5)
(Instr. 4) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 13,711 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 2,600 I(1) As trustee of two irrevocable
trusts FBO Reporting Person's
children
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Over)
SEC 1473 (7-96)
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
FORM 3 (continued)
TABLE II -- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES BENEFICIALLY OWNED (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
1. Title of Derivative Security 2. Date Exer- 3. Title and Amount of Securities 4. Conver- 5. Ownership 6. Nature of
(Instr. 4) cisable and Underlying Derivative Security sion or Form of Indirect
Expiration (Instr. 4) Exercise Derivative Beneficial
Date Price of Security: Ownership
(Month/Day/ Derivative Direct (D) (Instr. 5)
Year) Security or
----------------------------------------------------- Indirect (I)
Date Expira- Amount or (Instr. 5)
Exer- tion Title Number of
cisable Date Shares
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Options (right to purchase) (2) 8/6/07 Common Stock 90,000 $5.50 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of Responses:
(1) Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares as to which he has voting and dispositive powers as trustee.
(2) These options will vest and become exercisable, if at all, as follows: options exercisable for 22,500 shares will vest as of
08/06/98, and thereafter options exercisable into 1,875 shares will vest monthly.
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts /s/ Kenneth W. Johnson September 22, 1997
constitute Federal Criminal Violations. ---------------------------------------- --------------------------
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). **Signature of Reporting Person Date
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information in this form are Page 2
not required to respond unless the form displays a correct valid OMB Number. SEC 1473 (7-96)
</TABLE>
