Stories of Linux: Interview with Ian Murdock on Debian's Early Days (Linux.com)
Another piece of Debian history that many don't know is that Murdock's early work on Debian was sponsored by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). Murdock was sponsored by the FSF for about a year between 1994 and late 1995, and says that the FSF was "enormously helpful" in getting Debian off the ground. Murdock eventually left the FSF to finish his degree. Despite the FSF connection, Murdock says that the broader perception of Debian as 100% free software from day one "isn't true." In part this can be traced to later developments like Debian's Social Contract and the Debian Free Software Guidelines — but those happened during Bruce Perens' tenure, not while Murdock was at the helm."