Auerbach, Isaac L. (Isaac Levin), 1921-1992

Computer industry executive and consultant.

Isaac Auerbach, an engineer educated at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering, joined the staff of the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation to work on the UNIVAC project in June of 1946. One of his initial assignments was to survey and analyze the "large scale computing projects" that were underway in the various computational laboratories throughout the country.

Auerbach worked with the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation on the ENIAC and the BINAC from 1947-1949. In 1949 he helped start the Defense, Space, and Special Products Division of the Burroughs Corporation. In 1957 he left to form his own company, Auerbach Corporation for Science and Technology, a firm that included over a dozen different companies including Auerbach Associates, Inc., and Auerbach Publishers, Inc. After selling Auerbach Associates in 1976, he founded Auerbach Consultants, Inc. Auerbach was active in computer professional societies. In 1960 he helped found the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), and was its first president (1960-1965). He was a member of the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) History of Computing Committee.

and served as chair for the Commerce Technical Advisory Board (CTAB) working group for the development of a system for U.S. science and technology information.

Isaac L. Auerbach earned a BS at Drexel University in 1943. After earning his MS from Harvard in 1947, he became resident engineer at the Univac Division of Sperry Rand. In 1949 he moved to Burroughs Corporation as manager of the Defense Space and Special Products Division. In 1957 he left to form his own company, Auerbach Associates, Inc. He was president of this company until 1976, when he sold the company to its executives. He then founded Isaac L. Auerbach Inc. Consultants and became its president. He was also chairman of Auerbach Corporation Science and Technology, 1957-1983, and president (1960-1981) and later chairman (1981-1986) of Auerbach Publishers.

Auerbach was active in computer societies, especially the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS), where he worked on the History of Computing Committee (HOCC). In 1960 he helped found the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), and was its first president, from 1960-1965.

He worked on government committees as well, including acting as chair for the Commerce Technical Advisory Board (CTAB) working group for the development of a system for U.S. science and technology information.