Browsing by Subject "JOHNNIAC computer."

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    Oral history interview with Herman H. Goldstine
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 1980-08-11) Goldstine, Herman Heine, 1913-
    Goldstine, associate director of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) computer project from 1945 to 1956, discusses his role in the project. He describes the acquisition of funding from the Office of Naval Research, the hiring of staff, and his relationship with John von Neumann. Goldstine explains that von Neumann was responsible for convincing the Institute to sponsor the computer project. Goldstine praises von Neumann's contributions, among which he counts the first logical design of a computer and the concept of stored programming. Goldstine turns next to the relations between the project and one of its funders, the Atomic Energy Commission. He points out the conflict of interest of IAS director Robert Oppenheimer, who chaired the AEC General Advisory Committee, and von Neumann who sat on this committee, when other AEC officials discontinued funding for the project. Goldstine also recounts the problems that arose during the project over patent rights and their resolution. Goldstine concludes by discussing the many visitors to the project and the many computers (Whirlwind, ILLIAC, JOHNNIAC, IBM 70l) modeled after the IAS computer.
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    Oral history interview with Keith W. Uncapher
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-07-10) Uncapher, Keith W.
    The interview begins with a review of projects at RAND when Uncapher was hired in 1950. He discusses some of the projects he was involved in or had managerial responsibility for through the early 1970s, such as JOHNNIAC, JOSS, a survivable national network, GRAIL (GRAphical Interactive Language), and some work related to the ARPANET. The formation of Information Sciences Institute (ISI), funded by DARPA, is described, as well as some of the work ISI did for DARPA/IPTO. The interview ends with Uncapher's general observations on how DARPA and IPTO have changed over his years as a contractor. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.
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    Oral history interview with Paul Armer
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 1981-06-01) Armer, Paul
    Armer discusses three major topics. He begins with an outline of the history of computers in industry, devoting special attention to changes in business affected by technological innovations. He describes the first commercial computer, the UNIVAC of Remington Rand, and explains how International Business Machines (IBM) entered the computer business later than a number of other companies, but became the industry leader through its marketing strategies. Armer next turn to his career at the Rand Corporation. He describes the JOHNNIAC computer built at Rand and the equipment they purchased from IBM. Armer concludes with an overview of hardware and software innovations since 1957. Topics include: the standardization of software brought about by IBM's 1957 introduction of the first high-level programming language (FORTRAN), the increased communication among businesses about program compatibility, the emergence of the software industry in the 1960s, the proliferation of computer applications since 1950 that have accompanied the vast decreases in the size and cost of computer equipment, and the social impact of computers.