A survey of large scale computing machines, 1947 [Photoprints].

ArchivalResource

A survey of large scale computing machines, 1947 [Photoprints].

Isaac Auerbach began his report by noting developments in analog computing beginning in the late 19th century. Particular attention was focused on Vannevar Bush's differential analyzer. He then explored the advantages of digital computing and explained the basic elements of computational theory as they were understood in the late 1940s. Auerbach's final section surveyed current projects at research institutions (Harvard Computation Laboratory, Iowa State College, National Bureau of Standards, Princeton University's Institute for Advanced Study, and MIT) and at commercial firms (Electronic Control Company, Engineering Research Associates, IBM, Raytheon, Eastman Kodak, and Bell Laboratories). Aeurbach concluded his report by analyzing the commercial market for electronic digital computers.

1 v.

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6907450

Hagley Museum & Library

Related Entities

There are 25 Entities related to this resource.

Bell Telephone Laboratories, inc.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6650fn9 (corporateBody)

Lincoln Laboratory

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wr0vb9 (corporateBody)

International Business Machines Corporation

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6330m1p (corporateBody)

International Business Machines Corporation was incorporated in New York State on June 16, 1911 under the name Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. In 1922, Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. purchased all of the shares of Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen Gesellschaft. In 1924 the official name of the company was changed to International Business Machines Corporation. In 1933, IBM CEO Thomas Watson ordered the merger of IBM subsidiaries in Germany (Optima, Degemag, Holgemag, Dehomag) under the name De...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sv8d0k (corporateBody)

The Department of General Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) did not officially exist until 1882. Courses in general studies were offered as early as 1865, when the MIT Catalog offered a curriculum option called the Course in Science and Literature. At that time, all regular MIT students were required to take “general studies” classes from the Course in Science and Literature, in addition to English, history, and modern languages. In 1882 the Course in Scienc...

Eastman Kodak Company

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c648zp (corporateBody)

Kodak, short for Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational technology company based in the United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1888. Kodak is widely known for and internationally renowned for its photographic film products. It was one of the foremost photographic film businesses of the 20th Century. In 2009 as part of a major global restructuring programme, Kodak generously donated its research department's library to DMU Archives and Special Collections. T...

Atanasoff, John V. (John Vincent)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64q8xcf (person)

Inventor of the Atanasoff-Berry Computer. From the description of Oral history interview with John V. Atanasoff, 1985 March 19. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62685206 Inventor of the first electronic digital computer. J.V. Atanasoff was born in Hamilton, New York in 1903, and graduated from the University of Florida in 1925 with a B.S. in electrical engineering. He began graduate studies in mathematics at Iowa State College in 1925....

Goldstine, Herman H. (Herman Heine), 1913-2004

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6640f64 (person)

Herman Heine Goldstine was a professor of mathematics (University of Chicago, 1936-1939; University of Michigan, 1939-1950) and was involved in the early development of the computer during World War II and the 1950s. He continued to publish on the history of these subjects. He has held many administrative positions in scientific research with International Business Machines Corporation, namely, Director of Mathematical Sciences, Research (1958-1960); Director of Scientific Development, IBM Resea...

Stibitz, George R. (George Robert), 1904-1995

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61k0f9d (person)

Stibitz was born in York, Pa. in 1904. He received his Ph.D from Denison University and his M.S. from Union College. Completing his post-graduate studies at Cornell University, he received his Ph.D in Mathematical Physics in 1930. He worked as a Research Mathematician at Bell Telephone Laboratories, 1930-1941. While at Bell, he began to experiment with an "automated calculator" and the "Complex Computer". During World War II he worked as a Technical Aid in Section 7 of the National ...

Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v69kqh (person)

John (Johann) Louis von Neumann (1903-1957) was born in Budapest and showed early signs of being a child prodigy. He entered the University of Budapest in 1921, but also attended the University of Berlin and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology before obtaining a degree in chemical engineering in 1925. He earned his Doctorate in Mathematics from the University of Budapest in 1927. After graduation, he worked at the University of Berlin before becoming a visiting professor to Princeton from ...

Aiken, Howard H. (Howard Hathaway), 1900-1973

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ww88qm (person)

Howard H. Aiken, applied mathematician and computer scientist, was born on March 8, 1900 in Hoboken, New Jersey. He received his B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1923. After working as an electrical engineer, Aiken studied physics at the University of Chicago from 1931-1932. He then entered Harvard, receiving his S.M. in 1937 and his Harvard Ph.D. in 1939. Aiken served as Instructor in Physics and Communication Engineering from 1937-1939, as Faculty Ins...

Technitrol Engineering Company.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6n63n6g (corporateBody)

Harvard University. Computation Laboratory.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kh4p93 (corporateBody)

The Howard Hathaway Aiken Computation Laboratory houses specialized facilities for research and instruction in computing technology, including the Center for Research in Computing Technology. From the description of Records of the Computation Laboratory, 1944-1961 (inclusive). (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 76973272 The Harvard Computation Laboratory was established in 1944 when IBM presented the first entirely automatic digital computer to Harvard University, a m...

Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation (Philadelphia, Pa.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jq5144 (corporateBody)

Bush, Vannevar, 1890-1974

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cv4jx3 (person)

Physicist, engineer, government official, and science administrator. From the description of Vannevar Bush papers, 1901-1974 (bulk 1932-1955). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70980014 Administrator, engineer. From the description of Reminiscences of Vannevar Bush : oral history, 1967. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122569580 Biographical Note ...

United States. National Bureau of Standards.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kw99kt (corporateBody)

After World War II the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) was charged with the task of following developments in computing. In response, NBS began to index and abstract books, journals, reports and other literature covering a broad range of computer-related topics beginning in the mid-1940s. Eventually the enormity of the task forced NBS to abandon this work in 1978. From the description of Computer Literature Collection, 1956-1978. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat re...

Eckert, J. Presper (John Presper), 1919-1995

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61j9grq (person)

Moore School of Electrical Engineering personnel in the 1940s. From the description of Oral history interview with J. Presper Eckert, Kathleen Mauchly, James McNulty, and William Cleaver, 1980 Jan. 23. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63297207 Co-designer of the ENIAC, EDVAC, BINAC, and UNIVAC computers. From the description of Oral history interview with J. Presper Eckert, 1975. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record i...

Mauchly, John W. (John William), 1907-1980

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xg9wsh (person)

Computer science professor and co-designer of the ENIAC, EDVAC, and UNIVAC computers. From the description of Oral history interview with John W. Mauchly, 1976. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63288500 Computer science professor and co-designer of the UNIVAC. From the description of Sperry Univac Point of View speech, 1973 Nov. 13. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63276343 ...

Reeves Instrument Company.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6z08942 (corporateBody)

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

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v41znf (person)

Computer industry executive and consultant. From the description of Oral history interview with Isaac Auerbach, 1992 Oct. 2-3. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63289955 From the description of Oral history interview with Issac L. Auerbach, 1978 Apr. 10. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63276428 Isaac Auerbach, an engineer educated at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering, joined ...

Iowa State College

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sz02jm (corporateBody)

Institute for advanced study Princeton, N.J.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gx82t3 (corporateBody)

Electronic Control Company.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62z66j1 (corporateBody)

Raytheon Manufacturing Company

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dr7w84 (corporateBody)

Engineering research associates

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kt0r48 (corporateBody)

Early computer manufacturing firm. From the description of Engineering Research Associates records, 1945-1956. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62435921 During the Second World War, the Navy recognized that the computer, with its ability to rapidly manipulate data streams, was a natural tool for encoding and decoding enemy messages. In 1944 and 1945 it sponsored a number of research projects in this area. Its most successful unit was l...

National Physical Laboratory (Great Britain)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nc9wn6 (corporateBody)