Oral history interview with Herbert W. Robinson
1988-07-13
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Oral history interview with Herbert W. Robinson
Published Date
1988-07-13
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Charles Babbage Institute
Type
Oral History
Abstract
The Council for Economic and Industry Research, Inc. was formed in 1952 to perform operations research and model building for the U. S. Air Force. In 1953 Robinson took over the project, which was designed to identify strategic bomb targets in the Soviet Union based on potential economic damage. In 1954 a public company renamed C-E-I-R, Inc. was formed with Robinson as its president. Orchard Hayes was in charge of computer operations for the nascent software development and programming business. Robinson discusses C-E-I-R acquisitions Automation Institute, General Analysis Corporation, Data Tech, ARB (a television rating company), and C-E-I-R de Mexico. He talks about the establishment of C-E-I-R operations in London and the Netherlands and the subsequent takeover of these by British Petroleum. Robinson discusses the difficulties in managing an industry that had no history. He discusses the involvement of Robert Holland and George Dick from IBM, their attempts to direct sales of C-E-I-R products, and the loss of technical personnel. He discusses the early lack of competition and the later entrance of IBM into competition with C-E-I-R. He talks of William Norris' interest and the acquisition of C-E-I-R by Control Data Corporation.
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Transcript, 68 pp.
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Previously Published Citation
Herbert W. Robinson, OH 147. Oral history interview by Bruce Bruemmer, 13 July 1988, Bethesday, Maryland. Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. http://purl.umn.edu/107609
Suggested citation
Robinson, Herbert W. (Herbert William). (1988). Oral history interview with Herbert W. Robinson. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/107609.
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