Oral history interview with Ralph E. Griswold and Madge T. Griswold

Abstract

Ralph and Madge Griswold discuss how their respective educational backgrounds in electrical engineering and journalism led them separately to Bell Laboratories. Madge discusses her involvement with TEXT90 and TEXT360 in the preparation of technical journal documents. Ralph recalls the informal dissemination of SNOBOL to the academic community. The Griswolds describe Bell Laboratories' involvement with MULTICS and the movement of groups within Bell Laboratories away from GE machines to IBM equipment. From their perspectives as an employee and an administrator respectively, Madge and Ralph describe the climate for women at Bell Laboratories during the 1960s. Ralph discusses how changes in the research environment at Bell Laboratories led him to the University of Arizona. Ralph describes his effort to recruit computer scientists to the fledgling department and Madge discusses her involvement in the recruiting process and the development of the department. The Griswolds also discuss the stagnation of SNOBOL4 after the language manual went out-of-print, and their work at the Bright Forest Company with the development of a commercial Icon implementation.