Oral history interview with Willis K. Drake, 1983 Feb. 3.

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Oral history interview with Willis K. Drake, 1983 Feb. 3.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/63295475

Drake discusses his own career from his employment with Engineering Research Associates (ERA) to his work with Data Card. He remembers his employment with ERA from 1947 to 1952 and his growing frustration with the firm after it was sold to Remington Rand in 1952. He credits James Rand with considerable vision for the business applications of computers, but criticizes Remington Rand's management for failing to coordinate the activities of ERA and an earlier acquisition, Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation. He also discusses computer memories including magnetic core storage and Williams electrostatic tubes and relates the circumstances surrounding the formation of Control Data Corporation.

Computer data (1 file : 154K)

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

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SNAC Resource ID: 7885726

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Related Entities

There are 7 Entities related to this resource.

Control Data Corporation

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65b3sgr (corporateBody)

In January 1980, William C. Norris began planning for Control Data Corporation (CDC) executives to write histories of the major business segments of the company. After compiling a list of potential contributors, selected current and former CDC executives were requested to write narratives, with as much supporting documentation as possible, on specific business areas or topics in mid-1980. By late 1981, all the narratives had been completed. From the description of Control Data Corpor...

Drake, Willis K.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mg7vc5 (person)

Founder of Data Card Corporation. From the description of Oral history interview with Willis K. Drake, 1983 Feb. 3. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63295475 ...

Remington Rand, inc

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w609019c (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...

Rand, James H. (James Henry), 1886-1968

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gb4d8p (person)

Ross, James Baker,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61g3mh8 (person)

Data Card Corporation.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hf628n (corporateBody)