| Title: |
Richard Vincent
|
| Local code: |
OH 54
|
| Document type: |
Oral history
|
| Accessibility: |
Free Only
|
| Repository: |
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Charles Babbage Institute
|
| Collection: |
Charles Babbage Institute Oral History Program
|
| Description: |
Vincent reviews his involvement with computing from l949 to the early l970s. He relates how he first learned about computers in Air Force punch card operator school and ran IBM punched card machines during the Korean War. Vincent joined International Harvester after the war, operating an IBM 602A and later one of the first IBM 705 computers. He discusses the problems with the 705 and the field support offered by IBM. In 1959 Vincent joined Montgomery Ward, where he operated an early drum computer, the IBM 650. Vincent describes the difficulties of operating a drum computer. In l96l Vincent joined Pillsbury, where he converted the company from an IBM punched card system to a General Electric 225 computer. He describes subsequent computer acquisitions at Pillsbury, including the 1965 acquisition of a GE 625, one of the early multi-processing computers. In l969 Vincent joined Standard Computer Corporation, founded by engineers from the Call-A-Computer Division of Pillsbury, where he worked with Lazlo Rocozi on an IBM 7090 take-off, the IC 7000. In 1971 Vincent returned to Pillsbury and programmed the GE 635 in Cobol. Vincent discusses the problems of integrating different computer systems both within Pillsbury and with other companies. He concludes by discussing why Pillsbury uses GE (now Honeywell) instead of IBM computers.
|
| Extent: |
51 pages
|
| URL: |
http://www.cbi.umn.edu/oh/pdf.phtml?id=44
|
| Original Language: |
English
|
| Time span: |
Not indicated ... to 1983 (Year of interview)
|
| Speaker: |
Vincent, Richard, 1930-
|
| Speaker gender: |
Male
|
| Speaker date of birth: |
1930
|
| Speaker occupation: |
Electrical engineer
|
| Age at speaking: |
53
|
| Document location: |
Minneapolis, MN
|
| Document date: |
08-Mar-1983
|
| Interviewer: |
Solomonson, Craig
|
| Locations discussed: |
North America; United States
|
| Topics discussed - ASP terms: |
Computer software; Electric engineering; Engineering; Information technology; North America; Oral history; Software engineering; United States
|
| Topics discussed - Other terms: |
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
|
| ASP release: |
2005-06
|
| Document code: |
OHI0024063-25609
|
