Oral history interview with John Herriot

Abstract

This interview is concerned principally with the early years of computing at Stanford University. Herriot begins by discussing his postgraduate education at Brown University in the 1940s and his work experiences prior to joining Stanford in 1946. In 1952 Herriot was appointed the first director of the Stanford Computation Center, using a Card Programmed Calculator and later an IBM 650. He discusses the formation and funding of the Computation Center and its integration with the rest of Stanford. Herriot also discusses the formation and development of the Stanford Computer Science Department, centering on the role of George Forsythe. Affiliations between Stanford and private industry are also mentioned.