Index

Addressograph-Multigraph Birkenstock, James W., 184 Corporation, 207 Boekhoff, John, 150 Aiken, Howard, 1, 45, 95, 170, 192 Bonn, Ted, 160, 167 and IBM, 8 Boslaugh, David, 26 American Airlines, 31 Brown, T. Wister, 207, 214–215 American Totalizator Company, 214 background, 85 Anderson, B. F., 242, 253, 260, 262 Brush Development Company, 55, 58, Applied Mathematics Executive 64, 67, 117 Council, government computing Bureau of Antimonopoly (U.S.), sale program, 177–178 of ERA, 162–166, 183 Atanasoff, John V., 7 Burke, Colin, 13, 22 Atanasoff-Berry , 7 , 6–7, 210 Atlas computer. See ERA Atlas Bush, Vannevar, 39 Auerbach, Al, 180 cipher machines, 22–24 Auerbach, Isaac, background, 84 Comparator, 23–24 Rapid Selector, 24 Bartik, Jean Jennings. See Jennings, Betty Jean, background Campaigne, Howard, 145, 147, 149 Bartik, William, 229 Cannon, Edward, 95, 101, 176 Bendix Aviation Corporation, 206–207 Census Bureau, 79–82, 97, 108–109, sale to CDC, 6–7 117, 172–173, 177, 190, 217 Berkeley, Edmund, 89–92 Clifford, James, and ORI, 49 evaluation of EMCC proposal, Codes and ciphers, 21–23 103–105 Army Signal Corps, 79–80 at Harvard conference 1947, 65 Enigma, 23 progress at EMCC, 168 Index of Coincidence, 23 Berry, Clifford, 7 Cohen, Arnold A., 36, 39, 66, 275 BINAC (Binary Automatic background, 40–41 Computer), 9, 110, 181, 195 circuit designs, 125–135 considered as product, 184–185 designing Atlas, 142–150 design and construction, 179–185 magnetic drum research, 123–129, disappointment at Northrup, 183 150–154 preliminary discussions, 87–89 MIT, visit to, 131–134 public demonstration, 184, 192 Pendergrass reports for Atlas, 142 340 Index

Cohen, Arnold A. (cont.) proposes new products, 215 role in ERA, 40 resigns from the University of selective alteration, 127, Pennsylvania, 73 135–136, 152 stored-program concept, 78–79 Communications Supplementary vice president, , 214 Activity—Washington (CSAW). Eckert-Mauchly Computer See Navy Corporation (EMCC), 9, 13–17. Computer industry, 267–268, See also BINAC; Eckert, J. P.; 271–272, 276–277 Mauchly, J. W.; Remington Rand Computer Research Corporation, 6 Corporation; Sperry Rand Consolidated Engineering Company, Corporation; UNIVAC I 7, 165 Applications Programming Group, (CDC), 110–115, 185, 192 265, 280 Army Air Corps proposal, 87–88 planning for, 263 assessment, 270–271, 274 Coombs, John, 26, 36, 39, 52, 64–68, Census contract from NBS, 86–95, 123, 275 101, 178–179 Atlas, 145, 147 controversy over EDVAC design, characteristics as manager, 40 98–99 leaves for IBM, 165 delay-line research, 96–100, 175 Rapid Machines Project (MIT), 24 drum design, 218–219 sale of ERA, 161 EDVAC design, 73–77, 111–112 “Storage of Numbers on Magnetic Electronic Control Company, 44–45, Tape,” 55, 67, 127 80–82 Cortada, James W., assessment of electrostatic memory, 173–176 Remington Rand, 210–211 ERA, compared to, 11 Cray, Seymour, 39, 269 financial problems, 183, 206 Curtiss, John, 80–81, 87, 92–95, 101, financing, early, 82, 86–88, 172 118–119, 170–171, 176–177 founding, 77–80, 169–170 name UNIVAC, 106 Desch, Joseph, 26 Neilson, A. C., 87 Diamond, Harry, 96, 177 Prudential, 89–92, 102–108, 168 Drake, Willis K., 41, 249–250, 259, 260 representative Census problems, 80 Draper, Arthur F., 207–208, 256, 272 role in the early industry, 9 background, 214 sale of, 205–208 Duncan, Hugh, 42, 160, 218 software development, 108–115, 185, Dunwell, Steven, 184 192–205 EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Eachus, Joseph, 51, 145 Automatic Computer), 3, 9 Goldberg design, 67 EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Eckert, J. Presper, Jr., 2, 9, 14, 114, Computer), 1, 3, 9, 80 218, 272, 275, 278–280 design, 73–77, 111–112 background, 83 draft report, 73, 131 BINAC, 180, 182 EDVAC II, 98–99, 110, 112 LARC, 226–228, 253 instruction sets, 100–103 leadership qualities, 253 Eisenhower, Dwight David, 267 Moore School lectures, 74–75 Electrodata Company, 7 Index 341

Electronic Computer Corporation, legacy, 270 sale to Underwood, 6 magnetic drums, 61–64, 137–138 Electronic Control Company. See magnetic storage, 55–63, 66–67, Eckert-Mauchly Computer 124–126 Company Navy interest in, 11 Electrostatic memory nongovernment projects, 70–71 at EMCC, 173–176 overhead in contracts, 49–50 at ERA, 145–146 projected development costs, Elsworth, Kent, 228 163–164 Eltgroth, George V., 174, 214 projects, 51–52 background, 85 proposal to ONR for computer sale of ERA, 160–161 project, 118–120 Engstrom, Arthur, 239 proposals to the U.S. Navy, 46–48 Engstrom, Howard T., 31, 48, 66, 183, ranking among firms, 164–165 217–219 relationship with Northwestern background, 26–27, 35 Aeronautical, 33–34 CSAW, 26–28 revenue, 71, 159, 162–163 LARC proposal, 254 sale of, 159–166 magnetic research, 151 storage systems, 118 NCML, 27 ERA Atlas sale of ERA, 164–166 Atlas II, 231–232 ENIAC (Electronic Numerical circuits, 147–148 Integrator and Computer), 1, 3, 9, delivery of Atlas I, 154 98–99, 109, 122 delivery of Atlas II, 154 Enigma, 23 design tests, 154 ERA (Engineering Research designing Atlas, 144–150 Associates, Inc.), 6, 7, 12–17, 177. instructions, 154 See also ERA Atlas; ERA 1101; ERA memory, 148 B-3001 Project; Remington Rand objectives, 143 Corporation; Sperry Rand planning at CSAW, 142 Corporation requirements, 142–144 assessment, 269, 274 Task 13, 142 B-3001, 66, 120–141, 145–146 test system, 149, 153–154 consideration of drum products, ERA B-3001 project, 66, 145–146 137–138, 141 project design, 121–141 delivery of systems, 45–46, 154 ERA 1101, 212 Demon, 63 description, 154–156 electrostatic memory, 145–146 marketing, 156–159 EMCC, compared to, 11 UNIVAC I, comparison to, 221–222 financial condition, 159, 162 first business contacts for financing, Federal Trade Commission. See 43–46 Bureau of Antimonopoly founding of, 30–34, 43 Fernbach, Sidney, 228, 253 Goldberg, 55–69, 121, 125 Field, William J., 152 High-Speed Computing Devices book, Forrester, Jay, 1 66, 120–122, 128 Cohen’s visit to, 132–133 and IBM, 8 Fry, Thornton, 262, 265, 273 342 Index

Gehring, Arthur, 110, 227, 240 background, 192 , 248–250 Flow-Matic, 204 General Motors, 206 Hovsepian, V., 110 Goldstine, Herman, 120, 128, 278 Howard, John, 26, 31–32, 39, 48, 64, drum design, 138–141 136–138 von Neumann and EDVAC, 75 film project at ERA, 52–53 Goodman, Herbert, 244 Goldberg, 55 Government funding of , 2 manager at ERA, 41 Gray, Josh, 227 Rapid Machines Project (MIT), Green, Charles, 254–256, 259, 24–25 261, 272 Hughes Aircraft, 165, 207 Groves, General Leslie, 207–208, 213 sale to Ramo Wooldridge, 6 meeting with ERA, 217–219 Huskey, Harry, 173 Gutterman, Robert, 60, 123 joins ERA, 42 Index of Coincidence, 23 Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Hardenburgh, George, 127–128 75, 135, 138, 142, 154 Atlas, 149 International Business Machines input–output media, 128 (IBM), 6–7, 11–13, 25, 31, 117, 165, magnetic drum research, 123–125 207, 210–211 Harr, Luther, 245 antitrust, 3 Harvard University, 84 BINAC demonstration, 192 computing conference 1947, de facto standards, 3 64–65, 120 entry to digital computer business, 8 Mark III, 130, 192 and ERA, 8 Hawes, Mary K., 205 and Harvard, 8 Hawk, Captain Earl, sale of ERA, 161 and SAGE, 10 Hazeltine Electronics Corporation, Selective Sequence Electronic 206–207 Calculator (SSEC), 8 Hendrickson, Arnold, 130 Speedcoding System, 194 Herman, Kenneth, 263 tabulator industry, 210, 212 Herr, L. Robert, 59 Tape Processing Machine, 8 Hill, John Lindsay, 65, 68 650, 8 background, 40–41 701, 8 Speed Tally System, 232–233 International Telephone & Telegraph “Storage of Numbers on Magnetic (ITT), 206–207 Tape,” 55, 127 Iowa State University, 7 tape splicing project, 61 tours Remington Rand, 220 Jennings, Betty Jean, background, Holberton, Frances E. S. See Snyder, 109–110 Frances E. John Plain Company, 232 Hooper, Stanford C., 22 Speed Tally System, 232–233 Hopper, Grace Murray, 111, 113, 228 A-0 compiler, 195–199 Keye, William, 260 A-1 compiler, 199 background, 129 A-2 compiler, 201–203 circuit research, 129–130, 134–136 automatic programming, 195 UNIVAC II, 239 Index 343

Knorr, Carl, 256–259 EDVAC planning, 80 Kullback, Lt. Col. Solomon, 79–80 electrostatic storage, 174 NRC report, response to, 171 League, M., 110 resigns from the University of Lindquist, B. H. T., 126 Pennsylvania, 73 Livermore Automatic Research security matter, 172–173 Computer (LARC), 215, 223, 253 Short Code, 194–195 delays, 254 software development, 108, 169, design, 225–230 192–205 Livingston, Hubert M., 110, 114 UNIVAC I, 185–187 Logan, Robert, 194 and Maurice Wilkes, 9 Lukoff, Herman, 270, 275 McDonald, Robert, 256, 258, 260, 262 arrival at EMCC, 167–168 background, 265 background, 84 McDowell, Wallace, 253 BINAC, 180–182 McNamara, Charles E., 256 electrostatic memory, 173–176 McNamara, Francis, 214 project coordinator on LARC, 227 McPherson, James, 169, 207 UNIVAC I maintenance, 190–192 Meader, Ralph I., 27, 32 UNIVAC II problems, 240 background, 38–39 UNIVAC Solid State 80/90, 225 storage systems, 152 Lund, Ward, 239 Metropolitan Life Insurance Lundstrom, David, 239 Company, 192 Miles, James, 220–221, 243 Magnetic amplifiers, 226 Minnesota Mining and Ferractor, 230 Manufacturing Company (3M), 40 Magnetic core memory, 3 magnetic research, 59, 150 Magnetic drums Mitchell, Herbert F., 113, 221, 245 Atlas, 145 background, 192 Booth drum, 138–141 Moore, James, 228 circuit design, 124 Moore School at EMCC, 218–219 EDVAC design, 73–77, 98–99 at ERA, 61–64, 137–138 lectures, 9, 45, 73–75 Harvard University, 131 Mullaney, Frank E., 39, 41, 265, head design, 123 269, 275 magnetic oxide suspensions, 152 sale of ERA, 161 research, 125–129 Mumma, Robert, NCR 304, 27 selective alteration, 124, 127, 133–136, 145, 152 National Bureau of Standards, 5–6, storage systems, 137–138 119, 135, 141, 167 testing, 153 Committee on Tabulation Methods Martin, Glenn L., Company, 110 & Mechanical Equipment, 80 Mauchly, John W., 2, 114–115, 167, contract to EMCC, 81, 87, 92–95, 270, 275 101, 106–107, 177–179 Army Signal Corps, visits to, 79 contract to Raytheon, 94–95 background, 83 Electronics Section, 97–98 BINAC, 179–185 EMCC 1948, visit to, 169 Census Bureau, visits to, 79 expenditures on computers, 172 344 Index

National Bureau of Standards (cont.) at National Computing Machine NRC committee, 170 Laboratory, 55 negotiation with Remington Rand, Parker, John E., 255–256 215–216 background, 34–35 survey 1946, 77, 120 contracts, 41, 43 National Cash Register (NCR), 6–7, Electronic Computer Department 12, 25, 28, 206, 210 (sales), 243–251 National Computing Machine founding of ERA, 32–33 Laboratory, 25 Northwestern Aeronautical 304 computer, 27 Company, 32–34, 43 National Electronics Laboratory, sale of ERA, 159–166 29–30 sales of ERA systems, 158, 220 National Research Council, computer sales strategy in Remington Rand, design evaluation, 170–172, 176 245–246 National Security Agency, 27, 45, 63 Pendergrass, James, 51, 74 Neilson, A. C., Company, 113, 167, Atlas planning, 122, 142–145 172, 207 instructions for Atlas, 154 proposal from EMCC to, 87 Phelps, Byron, 184 Nofrey, Lou, 228 Philco Corporation, 207 Norris, William C., 59, 242, 272 Prudential Insurance Company, background, 36–38 113–115, 117, 172 decrease of authority in Remington proposal by EMCC, 87–92, Rand, 264 102–108 head, UNIVAC Division, 251, Volk, H. J., 90 254–262, 272–273, 278–280 work processes by EMCC, LARC proposal, 254 102, 168 management controversies, 258–261 Pugh, Emerson, 60 manager, St. Paul, 41, 243 Punched cards, 2 in U.S. Navy, 26 president of CDC, 265, 269 Radio Corporation of America sales force issues, 244 (RCA), Bizmac, 6 sales of ERA products, 220 Ramo Wooldridge, 6 Northrup Aircraft, Inc., 6, 45, 113 Rand, James H., Jr., 208–210, 214, 256 BINAC, 87–89, 179–185 LARC proposal, 254 Northwestern Aeronautical Rand, James H., Sr., 209 Corporation. See Parker, John E. Rand, Marcel, 242, 249, 255, 258–259, Norton, James, 228 262–263, 265 Rawlins, Robert, 179–180 Office of Naval Research (ONR), 5, Raytheon Corporation, 7, 177 66, 135, 177 proposal to Census Bureau, 94–95 proposal to by ERA, 118–120 Ream, Donald, 26 Olofson, Earl, 160, 218 Reconstruction Finance Corporation (U.S.), 207 Page, Chester H., 176 Redman, R. Adm. J. R., 28 Palmer, Ralph, 253 Rees, Mina, 118–119, 135, 138–141 device used at ERA, 55–56 Reid, W. H., 184, 192 IBM, returns to, 55 Reliability of computer systems, 2–3 Index 345

Remington Rand Corporation, 12–17, Roberts, Alfred, 220 206. See also Eckert-Mauchly Ross, A. M., 255 Computer Corporation (EMCC); Ross, Albert M., 208 ERA (Engineering Research Rubens, Sidney M., 36, 39, 66, 123, Associates, Inc.); Livermore 217–219 Automatic Research Computer background, 40–42 (LARC); Sperry Rand Corporation; magnetic pulse recording, 127 UNIVAC I magnetic research, 56–59, 151–154 acquires EMCC, 7, 208 Rumbles, A. R., 220, 243–245, 249, acquires ERA, 160, 163 250, 255, 258 Advanced Research Laboratory, 209, Ryden, Arnold, 263, 273 212–213, 217 Air Force Cambridge Research Safford, Laurence, 23, 25 Center (AFCRC) computer, 226 Sammet, Jean, 195 Atlas II, 231–232 Savidge, David, 221 BOGART, 237 Schmidt, William F., 194 competition, 241, 246–248 Seares, Al, 244 ERA products, 240 Shaw, Robert ERA sales, 220 background, 84 ERA 1102, 231 BINAC, 180 ERA 1103, 231–232 Sheppard, C. Bradford, 167, 270 Ferractor, 230 background, 84 File 0 computer, 225, 233–236 BINAC, 181 File 1 computer, 236 Smith, Byron, 263 history, 209–213 Smoliar, Gerry, 167 loans to ERA, 223 Snyder, Frances Elizabeth, MAGTEC, 236 113–114, 195 Naval Tactical Data System, 224 background, 84, 109–110 New York City sales office, 243–251 code development, 169 R&D expenses of EMCC Flow-Matic use, 204 subsidiary, 231 programming, 200 sales, 243–251 Sorenson, Robert, 256 Speed Tally System, 233 Sperry Rand Corporation, 13 STEP system, 225 assessment, 278–280 tabulator revenue, 212 ERA subsidiary operations, 253 TRANSTEC, 236 management difficulties, 251–266 UNIVAC Calculating Tabulator manufacturing, 252, 260 (UCT), 230 merger with Burroughs, 212 UNIVAC II, 237, 240 merger of Sperry and Remington UNIVAC Solid State 80/90, 224–225 Rand, 211, 242 UNIVAC 120, 215, 223–224 resignations in St. Paul, 264 UNIVAC 60, 215, 223–224 service centers, 273–274 409-2 Calculator, 212, 220 UNIVAC Division, 242, 251, 254–255 490 computer, 223–224, 236 Stability of computer systems, 2 491 computer, 224 Steinhardt, Lawrence, 40–41, 48, 492 computer, 224 52, 64 Ridgway, Richard, 195, 205 Rapid Machines Project (MIT), 24 346 Index

Stern, Nancy interest in computing, 10 assessment of EMCC, 9–10 James Pendergrass and ERA’s Atlas, BINAC, 181, 183 122, 142–148, 154 Mauchly security matter, 172–173 Massachusetts Institute of NRC committee, 170 Technology (MIT), 10 Stibitz, George, 92–93, 170 Mathematical Computing Advisory Storage, 3. See also Electrostatic Panel, 80–81 memory; Magnetic amplifiers; Naval Computing Machine Magnetic drums Laboratory, 24–28, 34, 50–51, 117 delay line storage, 84, 96, objectives of ERA, 29–30 99–101, 175 Office of Research and Invention ERA models, 49 (ORI), 46–50 ERA research proposal 1946, organization of ERA, 29 47–48 postwar planning, 28 magnetic core memory, 3 Rapid Machines Project, 23 magnetic research at ERA, 55–63, United States Signal Corps, 79 118, 151–154 UNIVAC I, 9, 164, 194, 212, 214. photographic film, 25, 51–53, 269 See also Remington Rand wire recording, 98 design, 185–189 Stowe, Lloyd, 199, 227 ERA 1101, comparison with, 221–222 Talbott, Nelson S., founding of maintenance, 190–192 ERA, 32 production, 220 Technitrol Engineering Company, 6 promotional description, 175, Teller, Edward, 227, 253 185–187 Thornton, James, 39, 41 sales effort, 215 Tomash, Erwin, 41, 217–221, 243, testing, 189–192 253, 255–256, 269 use by Census Bureau, 190, 217 Tompkins, Charles B., 48, 57–58, 64, University of Minnesota, electrical 66, 126–127, 133, 138 engineering graduates at ERA, 39 Atlas design, 142, 145 University of Pennsylvania. background, 35–36, 41–42 See Moore School computer projects, 118–120 storage systems, 152 Vickers, Harry, 242, 251, 255, 272 Tonik, Albert B., 194, 227 Vincent, R. S., 218 von Neumann, John, 170, 278 Underwood Corporation, 6 draft report on EDVAC, 73 , 158 IAS reports and influence, 128, 131 United States Army Air Corps, 51, 87–88 Wakelin, James, 30–31, 64, 151 United States Army Map Service, 110 Walsh, Joseph M., 42, 51 Watson, Thomas J., Jr., 184 Atlas design conference, 145 Weiner, James, 270 Communications Supplementary background, 84, 86, 95 Activity—Washington (CSAW), BINAC, 180 10–11, 21–22, 26, 42, 121, 145–150 evaluation of NRC report, 171 and ERA, 11 LARC, 227 Index 347

sale of ERA, 160 UNIVAC I design, 187 UNIVAC II problems, 240 Welchman, Gordon, 218 Welsh, H. Frazer, 270 background, 84 UNIVAC peripherals, 189 Wenger, Joseph, 23, 25 Western Electric, 27 Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 207 Wetzel, William, 59, 151 Whirlwind, 1 circuit design, 131–132, 143 comparison to ERA’s Atlas, 144 Project Whirlwind, 10 Wilkes, Maurice EDSAC, 9 Wilkes, Wheeler, and Gill volume, 194 Wilson, Lou, 180, 240

Zenith Electronics Corporation, 206