“Notes from The Gang” (2008) 10/02/08 This file contains notes and e-mails, which several people have sent to me over the last year. ========================================================= People we lost this year. Obituaries and/or other info is scattered throughout this document. Al Champlain (obituary at end of this doc) Terry Berett Rick Jackson Dick Mattson Alain Nicolleau Byron Nilsen Chuck Pence Austin Poons (obituary at end of this doc) Gary Tom Sam Wood Chuck Wright ========================================================= September 26, 2008 Pat - I intended to attend the Super Lunch for years, but never followed through until this year. Bruce Larsen and I made a pact to go this year when we ran into each other back in February, and that was enough of a commitment that I finally followed through. I want to thank you for the work you put into it, every year. There were good people at CDC and it's right to stay in touch with them. The Super Lunch is a good thing, and you deserve the credit. Thanks, Steve Hattenberger (Note: Steve and Bruce made it to the 2008 lunch) ========================================================= September 26, 2008 (follow-up to Billy’s previous e-mail of 09/25) Patrick, It was great to hear from you. My address is: Billy Pettit 3747 Oak Brook Court Pleasanton, California 94588 You can give this address to anyone with CDC material. I will return it after scanning, if they wish. If not, I'll donate it in their name to the Museum. My offer stands to pay all postage involved. Are you familiar with the controlfreaks list? If not, I think you might find it fun; it's about CDC software and they have frequent discussions down to the diagnostic level. Just went through a long discussion of inter-PPU communication and display character generation. Have a look at: http://www.controlfreaks.org/mailman/listinfo/controlfreaks If you want, I can forward you a couple of recent mailings so you can have a look at the contents. Billy Pettit = = = = = = = Sept 25, 2008 I only just discovered your web site through the control freaks e-list (ex-CDC software engineers staying in touch and writing 6000 emulators). Please add me to your mailing list. I made the 50th reunion and will try to make one of the lunches with more notice. My name is: Billy Pettit email is: [email protected] Cell hone is: 925-998-9968 Live in Pleasanton, California - near SF I started at CDC in July 1963, in Engineering Services. Moved frequently, starting in Minneapolis, then Atlanta, Huntsville, Houston, The Hague, London, Ann Arbor, Missisauga and finally Oklahoma City. Left CDC in 1976, went into the disk drive field on the West Coast. Still stay in touch with a few old timers out here in the Bay area. And correspond with the active alumni group in OKCity. I saw a question about what to do with old manuals. Please tell everybody that there is large professional archivist group at the Computer History Museum: http://www.computerhistory.org/ They would love to have donations of any old manuals, newsletters, documentation, etc. They are especially desparate for software. Very few people saved any software. For example, not a single 1700 program has been found. Nor have we found a single 1604 program. As a part of this effort, one extremely dedicated archivist there has been scanning manuals and putting them up on the Internet. Check out: http://www.bitsavers.org/ We would love to scan any old manuals or documents and add to the archive. If you don't want to donate, I will still pay postage both ways, scan them and return them to the original owner. It is really important to save what little of our history is left. Another question asked about old CDC machines. There are a few left in the world. For example, I know of five 160-A's still in existance. Only one of them, mine, is still operational. I also have a 167 Card Reader - operational, and a 161-A I/O typewriter in terrible shape. I am working on restoring it, currently. I have some software but would love to find more 160 programs. I would welcome any contact with old 160-A/1604 engineers and talk about the early days of ES. I have been trying to reach James Pederson for several years. Jim was at 501 Park and later at Arden Hills. The last email from him that I can find on the net is from 2001. I'd really love to talk to him about some of his designs. In fact, the museum has an oral history group and would love to hear from anybody on their memories of the early days of computers. Please read the message about the Museum to the Luncheon if that is possible. We would love to hear from anyone. Please give my email address to anyone who wants to talk about the old CDC computers. Next year, we'll try to make the Luncheon. Billy Pettit ========================================================= September 23, 2008 Hello, I am Gerard van der Grinten and currently visiting Bob Engberg in Alaska. Both Bob and I am former CDC employees. I worked for the Dutch organisation from 1966 till 1994 at HOLHNL. Bob worked at ARHOPS in Field Support (Scope etc). Please forward our greetings to the members there. And, if anybody has still software (on tape - CDC related) please collect it and let me or control freeks know. For all fun you (members) can telnet to pa0gri.demon.nl Connect to MDA and login with ,guest,guest Regards, Gerard. ========================================================= September 23, 2008 Please include me on your mailing list. I'm in Florida, as I always have been, but if I can swing travel to the cities near the next luncheon, I might well do it. I was with PSD 1980-88 and AWD 88 - 98. Thanks, Kent (Olsen) ========================================================= September 23, 2008 Pat Sorry to say I cannot make it down there. Something came up. Working sucks. John (Gobats) Rangenet Internet Services, Inc 3049 Sunset Road Tower, MN 55790 ========================================================= September 18, 2008 Found 7 more pictures - They had to be taken in late 1971 or early 1972 before I went to Europe with CDC for a couple of years - I left CDC in 1986. Sending one at a time as I am on a low speed DSL circuit. Regards, Don Welter ========================================================= September 17, 2008 Patrick, I got your contact information from Dick LeKang. I was a 30 year employee at Control Data from 1968 -1998. Could you add me to your mailing list on Control Data activities? Thanks, Bob Anderson (Done 09/17/08) ========================================================= September 13, 2008 Hi Pat, Thanks for keeping up with me. As soon as my wife Pat said Pat Johnston called I knew immediately that it was you. I am still working. I can’t afford to retire unless I give up my toys. I think I am still too young although I have younger friends that have retired. I am still in the computer business. I have been doing marketing, sales and business development for about the last 20 years. Control Data was an excellent place to start my career. Many times I have wished we could have kept it going. Diagnostic Engineering was a lot of fun. One of these years I am going to make it to a CDC reunion. I noticed that Cary Connors attended one… maybe last year. You may remember that Cary and I shared one of those big cubes when we worked for Roger Goman. Well, duty calls. I am heading to San Diego tonight on business if IKE permits. We’re just getting light rain so far here in Plano so I am sure the flight will be leaving on time. Thanks again. I do look forward to seeing you and the gang sometime soon. Bruce (Fisher) ========================================================= September 11, 2008 Pat, Good talking to you - and as promised, here's my info. As for email addresses, the one you have - is a forwarding service, so in theory, it should always be up to date as long as I live (or as long as I'm an ARRL member). We have the ability to have that address forwarded to any address we choose, whoever happens to be our ISP-of-the-day. And actually, we haven't changed ISP's in quite a while - the address that the ARRL service is currently forwarded to is: (see PRJ) Glad to hear all is well with you - and I hope it stays that way! Randy Schneider PS. You can check out the web site at http://www.bearmountainbull.com ========================================================= September 11, 2008 I’m still alive and kicking. Keeping up with the changes in the world now termed IT and keeping the brain active as a cantankerous programmer for Medica Health Plans. I probably won’t be at the Super Lunch. I am leaving that evening to visit my son in Chicago, Illinois and my daughter in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bob (Trier) ========================================================= September 11, 2008 (sent out on 9/11/08) Patrick, This was sent to contacts in Al's e-mail on Tuesday. Information on the memorial service will follow in a separate e-mail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Al (Champlain) passed about 1:45a.m. Tuesday, September 9th. This gives you a good idea about our last 48 hours or so. It has been tough but, we have had lots of family and friends and LOVE by our sides throughout. This past Sunday I was to be discharged from Methodist, so I tried to get ahold of Albert to pick me up.