Guide to the Peter R. Jennings Papers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Guide to the Peter R. Jennings papers Creator: Peter R. Jennings Dates: 1974-2005 Extent: 33.5 linear feet in 22 record cartons, 5 software boxes, and 3 periodical boxes Collection number: X7876.2017 Catalog number: 102776089 Collection processed by: Jack Doran, Pennington Ahlstrand, and Elena Colón-Marrero, 2020. Finding aid prepared by: Sydney Gulbronson Olson, Jack Doran, and Sara Chabino Lott, March 2020. Pennington Ahlstrand and Elena Colón- Marrero, August 2020. Sponsor: Processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from the National Archives’ National Historical Publications & Records Commission: Access to Historical Records grant. Abstract The Peter R. Jennings papers are made up of the corporate and financial records of companies Jennings was involved with, most notably VisiCorp, Gavilan, and Vasona. These records are largely concerned with the marketability of products and company strategies. There are also a number of published materials collected by Jennings, and commercial software unrelated to Jennings’ companies but retained by him as part of this collection. Peter R. Jennings papers X7876.2017 Administrative Information Access Restrictions The collection is open for research. Publication Rights The Computer History Museum (CHM) can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Copyright restrictions may apply and users are responsible for satisfying any claims of the copyright holder. Requests for copying and permission to publish, quote, or reproduce any portion of the Computer History Museum’s collection must be obtained jointly from both the copyright holder (if applicable) and the Computer History Museum as owner of the material. Languages English Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements The collection contains media that has not been read by CHM staff. Contact the CHM archives staff for more information. Preferred Citation [Identification of Item], [Date], Peter R. Jennings papers, Lot X7876.2017, Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer History Museum. Immediate Source of Acquisition Gift of Peter R. Jennings, 2016. Repository Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA 94043 USA 650-810-1010 [email protected] www.computerhistory.org Biographical/Historical Note Peter R. Jennings, born in Bedford, England, in 1950, is an inventor, personal computing software pioneer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist perhaps best known for having created Microchess, the first commercially successful chess program for microcomputer. Jennings moved with his family to Ontario, Canada in the early 1960s. He attended McMaster University from 1968 to 1971, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics. He received an MA in Computer History Museum 2 Peter R. Jennings papers X7876.2017 Physics from SUNY Stony Brook in 1972 and his MBA in Finance and Marketing from McMaster University in 1974. Jennings married his wife, Jane Barle, in 1973. Microchess, a chess playing application released in 1976, was one of the earliest and most successful commercially sold personal computing programs. Jennings started Micro-Ware Limited in 1977 to distribute Microchess. He then co-founded Personal Software in 1979 with Dan Fylstra. Personal Software was one of the first commercial personal computer software companies. Personal Software “published” – that is, manufactured, documented, packaged, marketed, and sold – programs written by program “authors” on a royalty basis. This software publishing, on the model of book publishing, was an important business approach in the personal computing industry. Personal Software was renamed VisiCorp in 1982 after it began publication of the first spreadsheet, the wildly successful VisiCalc. VisiCalc had been developed by Software Arts and the two companies would later be involved in a lengthy lawsuit. VisiCorp merged with Paladin Software Corporation in 1984 a few short months after the lawsuit was settled out of court. Paladin Software faced stiff competition and invested heavily in an ambitious integrated graphical software environment, VisiOn. The company faded at the end of the 1980s. After selling VisiCorp, Jennings remained a primary shareholder and board member. Jennings took part in a number of other business ventures ranging from founder to chairman to angel investor. He was involved with Gavilan Computer, Associated Venture Investors (AVI), Vasona Corporation, Vivid Systems, Personics Corporation, and Quantum Magnetics. He founded j.com in 1989 to market ham radio products, which was later sold to Ramsey Electronics. Jennings continues to advise and invest in technology companies and startups. Scope and Content of the Collection The Peter R. Jennings papers consist of business records, financial documentation, legal correspondence, published manuals and documentation, software, and a small amount of audio-visual material. Much of the collection consists of business records from companies that Jennings founded, including Micro-Ware, Personal Software, and VisiCorp, ranging in date from 1976 to 1985. Types of documentation include internal memos, internal and external correspondence, communication with shareholders, board of director meeting minutes, trademark registration documents, and administrative and staffing records. There are also materials pertaining to company strategy, such as market research reports and business plans. Other records include financial statements, quarterly reports, stock option and offering information, legal agreements regarding licensing and distribution, newspaper and article clippings, and notebooks belonging to Peter and Jane Jennings. There is information on the merger of VisiCorp and Paladin, as well as records from the lawsuit and settlement between VisiCorp and Software Arts. While most of these records pertain to Personal Software and VisiCorp, materials related to Microchess and Micro-Ware are scattered throughout the collection. A smaller portion of the collection relates to companies that Jennings worked with, in roles ranging from chairman to board member to investor. This section consists primarily of shareholder documentation, since Jennings became an investor in a number of technology companies. Other types of documentation include business plans and board minutes. Companies represented in this section of the collection include Gavilan, Vivid Systems, Vasona, Personics Corporation, Datawatch, Cosmos Computer Corporation, CrystalVision, Quantum Computer History Museum 3 Peter R. Jennings papers X7876.2017 Magnetics, Apple, Objective Software, AZ Technology, Associated Venture Investors (AVI), and j.com. Published documentation, such as books and manuals, comprises another significant portion of the collection. Examples of materials include manuals and textbooks about programming and programs on the Apple Macintosh, programming in UNIX, and documentation that accompanied hardware and software. There is also a box of material related to Forth, such as newsletters, manuals, and FORML proceedings, as well as PEAC documentation. There are also resources for personnel relations and management, including topics such as compensation guidelines, industry salary surveys, policy handbooks from other companies, and management and hiring workbooks. A small amount of audiovisual materials, such as VHS tapes of product demos and shareholder meetings, are scattered throughout. Finally, about a quarter of the collection consists of software. There are approximately 600 3 ½ inch floppies and 120 5 ¼ inch floppies, most of which are commercial programs for Apple II, Mac, and IBM PC. In addition, there are several boxes of packaged software. Arrangement The collection is arranged into 4 series: Series 1, VisiCorp corporate records, 1974-1984, bulk 1978-1984 Series 2, Gavilan and other companies, 1980-1997 bulk, 1980-1990 Series 3, Published materials, 1975-1996, bulk 1980-1989 Series 4, Software, 1978-2005, bulk 1984-1994 Indexing Terms Apple II (Computer)--Programming Computer chess Jennings, Peter R., 1950- KIM-1 (Computer)--Programming Microchess Visicorp Collection Contents Series 1, VisiCorp corporate records, 1974-1984, bulk 1978-1984 The VisiCorp corporate records series is made up of the administrative, financial, and historical materials related to Jennings’ company, VisiCorp (originally Personal Software). Meeting minutes, notes, and attachments are found here, as well as market analyses and research reports along with strategies the company planned and executed throughout the course of its life. Jennings also assembled a file made up of early documents related to the founding of VisiCorp. Much of the remaining materials have to do with shareholders and financial records, as well as some documentation on VisiCorp’s merger with Paladin and lawsuit with Software Arts. Series 2, Gavilan and other companies, 1980-1997 bulk, 1980-1990 The Gavilan and other companies series is made up primarily of corporate records created by companies other than VisiCorp that Jennings had some involvement with by way of being a Computer History Museum 4 Peter R. Jennings papers X7876.2017 founder, chairman, or investor. These include Gavilan, Personics, j.com, PEAC, Vasona, Datawatch, and others. As with the VisiCorp corporate records, much of the material is related to meeting minutes and stock options, but there are also some program descriptions, technical documentation, and files concerning other company products. It should be noted that there is also a small assortment of VisiCorp documents in this