MAY 2001 CORE 2.2 A PUBLICATION OF THE COMPUTER MUSEUM HISTORY CENTER WWW.COMPUTERHISTORY.ORG A TRIBUTE TO MUSEUM FELLOW TOM KILBURN PAGE 1 May 2001 A FISCAL YEAR OF COREA publication of The Computer Museum2.2 History Center IN THIS MISSION ISSUE CHANGE TO PRESERVE AND PRESENT FOR POSTERITY THE ARTIFACTS AND STORIES OF THE INFORMATION AGE VISION INSIDE FRONT COVER At the end of June, the Museum will end deserved rest before deciding what to Visible Storage Exhibit Area—The staff TO EXPLORE THE COMPUTING REVOLUTION AND ITS A FISCAL YEAR OF CHANGE John C Toole another fiscal year. Time has flown as do next. His dedication, expertise, and and volunteers have worked hard to give IMPACT ON THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE we’ve grown and changed in so many smiling face will be sorely missed, the middle bay a new “look and feel.” 2 ways. I hope that each of you have although I feel he will be part of our For example, if you haven’t seen the A TRIBUTE TO TOM KILBURN already become strong supporters in future in some way. We have focused new exhibit “Innovation 101,” you are in Brian Napper and Hilary Kahn every aspect of our growth, including key recruiting efforts on building a new for a treat. EXECUTIVE STAFF our annual campaign–it’s so critical to curatorial staff for the years ahead. 7 John C Toole FROM THE PHOTO COLLECTION: our operation. And there’s still time to Charlie Pfefferkorn—a great resource Collections—As word spreads, our EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO 2 CAPTURING HISTORY help us meet the financial demands of and long-time volunteer—has been collection grows, which emphasizes our Karen Mathews Chris Garcia this year’s programs! contracted to help during this transition. need for space and staff to take care of EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT the new items. Eleanor Weber Dickman VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT 11 Let’s take a short walk together around In other departments, Camilla Neve & PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES the Museum, and see what’s been joined as a development associate to Interim plans—In order to grow and Karen Mathews happening. With a goal of becoming support the growing expectations of our operate until the opening of our BOARD OF TRUSTEES operational in 2005, getting the fundraising team. We also have two permanent home, we must 13 7 DECWORLD 2001 programs, organization, and most NASA interns working on staff: Amy accommodate increasing warehouse Leonard J Shustek, Chairman Charles H (Chuck) House importantly, the people in place is Bodine is finishing her internship as a and people space. We are moving VENCRAFT, LLC INTEL CONVERGED COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, 14 Sally M. Abel essential. collections and web services intern, and forward with a temporary structure that DIALOGIC DIVISION FOCUS ON PEOPLE: JAKE FEINLER FENWICK & WEST, LLP Jessica Huynh is the new web services will allow us to build our operation and Eleanor Dickman David L Anderson Dave House ALLEGRO NETWORKS The architectural and exhibit design intern. For current staff openings, see manage a dynamic collection process. SENDMAIL teams have begun the schematic design www.computerhistory.org/jobs. C Gordon Bell Christine Hughes 15 phase of our new building. This is a This is a particularly important time for MICROSOFT CORPORATION HIGHWAY 1 CURRENT STAFF & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES particularly exciting time to be engaged The number of volunteers has been the Museum. We are growing in Peggy Burke Steve Kirsch 11 1185 DESIGN PROPEL SOFTWARE CORPORATION as we seriously think through the growing, and they participate in every programs, people, and facilities, but we Andrea Cunningham John Mashey 17 relationships of architecture, event way imaginable. If you’ve been by are also vulnerable to the economic CITIGATE CUNNINGHAM SILICON GRAPHICS UPCOMING EVENTS space, exhibits, storage, and visitor recently, you may have noticed that the downturn and changes that result. We Donna Dubinsky Ike R Nassi CONTACT INFORMATION HANDSPRING experience. And speaking of related great docents we have are much more could not have achieved what we have Suhas Patil plans, have you seen some of the visible. Ed Thelen does many of our already without the generous support of David Emerson TUFAN ON THE BACK COVER COOLEY GODWARD, LLP MYSTERY ITEMS FROM THE COLLECTION “facelift” changes in the Visible Storage regular public tours on Wednesdays and so many Museum friends. But to grow, Bernard L Peuto Samuel Fuller CONCORD CONSULTING Exhibit Area, or the plans for the interim Fridays, and the entire group has won we’ve got to expand and mature in so ANALOG DEVICES 14 John William Poduska Sr office and storage space we’ll be using the hearts of groups like the Stanford many ways. Fortunately, your support Eric Hahn ADVANCED VISUAL SYSTEMS INVENTURES GROUP until the new building opens? Alumni that recently visited. This is makes all the difference, and I F Grant Saviers Gardner C Hendrie just a hint of our future docent program encourage you to contribute to our PRIVATE INVESTOR SIGMA PARTNERS People make the Museum succeed— that will be evolving over the next annual campaign as generously as you John Shoch Peter Hirshberg ALLOY VENTURES Board, staff, volunteers, and the public. several months. can. You’ll hear more about our capital GLOSS.COM Please welcome to our Board of campaign in the future. Pierluigi Zappacosta Trustees Sally Abel (Fenwick and West You can probably tell that we’re very BACK LLP) and David Emerson (Cooley proud of where we are at the close of Finally, I hope you are enjoying the Godward LLP). The legal expertise of this fiscal year. In addition to the above: diverse and important programs that are these two new members is truly available. We are on the steep slope of Copyright © 2001, The Computer Museum History Center. All rights welcome in our fast-paced organization Events—Two exciting events, the Xerox growth to build a new cultural institution reserved. The Museum is an independent 501 (c) (3) organization, and is already being put to good use. Alto retrospective and DECWORLD that celebrates computing history, and FID# 77-0507525. PO Box 367, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA. 2001, cap off our wonderful spring many of you have been part of that rise. The Computer Museum History Center At the staff level, Curator Dag Spicer lecture series. Karen Mathews gives an Help bring others into the circle of Building T12-A left in March after five years of service account on page 11 of current Museum Museum friends. Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA +1 650 604 2579 with the Museum. He’s taking a well operations and events. +1 650 604 2594 (fax) WWW.COMPUTERHISTORY.ORG The Museum seeks technical articles from our readers. Article submission guidelines can be located at JOHN C TOOLE www.computerhistory.org/core, or contact Editor Karyn Wolfe EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO at [email protected]. PAGE 2 PAGE 3 A TRIBUTE TO Used by permission. TOM KILBURN Used by permission. 1921-2001 BRIAN NAPPER AND HILARY KAHN Tom Kilburn, who died on January 17, 2001 at the age of 79, spent his © Computer Science Department, University of Manchester. lifetime at the forefront of the © Computer Science Department, University of Manchester. computing revolution that he himself helped to start. By co-inventing the first effective electronic storage (memory), and then leading the design and development of five major computer systems, he kept England’s University Freddie Williams led the effort to use cathode of Manchester at the center of the ray tubes (CRTs) in the 40s to solve the need “second industrial revolution” for a 25- for memory. Geoff Tootill in front of the rebuilt Baby machine at the Museum of Science and year period. Industry in Manchester Used by permission. Used by permission. © University of Manchester. Used by permission. © University of Manchester. The UK’s University of Manchester, which Tom © Computer Science Department, University of Manchester. Freddie Williams (right) and Tom Kilburn in front of © Computer Science Department, University of Manchester. Kilburn helped keep at the center of the computing the Mark 1 console in 1949 revolution for 25 years While working for Williams, Kilburn and Tootill built the Baby to demonstrate the viability of CRTs for storage (memory). It worked successfully for the first time on June 21, 1948, becoming the world’s first functioning stored program electronic computer. Kilburn was born in 1921 and educated having seen ENIAC, Williams became time on the CRT project. Kilburn spent A program was loaded into the Baby’s in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England. In aware that the lack of a suitable 1947 tackling the problem and building memory using hand keys and then the 1940 he went to Cambridge University storage mechanism was holding up the prototypes to prove the viability of CRT stored program was executed. This to read Mathematics. Upon graduating development of electronic computers, storage, ending up with a 2048 bit store program, which calculated the highest with first-class honors in 1942, he and decided to investigate the on a standard radar CRT. In December factor of a number—and which Kilburn chose to enlist in the military for possibility of using cathode ray tubes 1947, he wrote a definitive report on admitted was probably the only unspecified key war work. He was sent (CRTs) to solve the problem. Work the mechanism. However, he knew that complete program he ever wrote—was on a six-week intensive electronics elsewhere in the world at that time was the most effective proof of the an early example of computer software. course and then to the Telecom- investigating the use of mercury delay mechanism would be to use CRTs in a The CRT storage system pioneered by munications Research Establishment lines to solve the storage problem, and computer.