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Francis V. Wagner papers

 Collection
Identifier: CBI 6

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of Wagner's subject files. These files include correspondence, notes, reports, manuals, newsletters, symposium and conference proceedings, photographs, and other materials relating to the Association of Independent Software Companies, the Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL), FORTRAN Automatic Coding System, IBM 701 programming, IBM 709 System committee, SHARE, the Universal Computer-Oriented Language (UNCOL) developed by SHARE, Informatics General Corporation, computing at North American Aviation, and UNIVAC's 1960 LARC Seminar. Also included in the collection are an oral history transcript of Wagner from the Smithsonian Institution, material relating to a history of computing chronology, and an article about on-line computing from 1967-1978.

Dates

  • 1946-1985

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Access to materials:

Access to the collection is unrestricted.

Copyright:

CBI holds the copyright to all the materials in the collection, except for items that were covered by a prior copyright (such as published materials). Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provisions of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Biographical Note

Francis V. Wagner began his career as a civil engineer in new York City in 1938. In 1944 he accepted an engineering position at North American Aviation in Los Angeles. There he became a major advocate of using IBM punched card processing equipment for aircraft design and development. In 1952 he was appointed manager of Engineering Computing. After North American purchased an IBM 701 computer in 1953, Wagner helped found and was later president of SHARE, an early IBM computer user group. In 1962 he helped establish Informatics General Corporation as a wholly owned subsidiary of Dataproducts Corporation.

Extent

1 box (1 cubic foot)

Abstract

The collection contains correspondence, notes, reports, manuals, newsletters, symposium and conference proceedings, photographs, and other materials relating to the Association of Independent Software Companies, the Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL), FORTRAN Automatic Coding System, IBM 701 programming, IBM 709 System Committee, SHARE, the Universal Computer-Oriented Language (UNCOL) developed by SHARE, Informatics General Corporation, computing at North American Aviation, and Univac's 1960 LARC seminar. Also included are an oral history transcript of Wagner from the Smithsonian Institution, material relating to a history of computing chronology, and an article about the history of on-line computing from 1967 to 1978.

Arrangement of Collection

The files are arranged in alphabetical order.

Acquisition:

The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Francis V. Wagner in 1985.

Title
Francis V. Wagner Papers, 1946-1985. Finding Aid.
Author
Prepared by Bruce H. Bruemmer, March 1991.
Date
March 2004
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Collecting Area Details

Contact The Charles Babbage Institute Archives Collecting Area

Contact:
Elmer L. Andersen Library
222 - 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55455
612-624-5050