American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) records
Scope and Content Note
The American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) records document the organization’s administration and activities, and the AFIPS-sponsored Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences (later the National Computer Conference). The records include budget and financial information, reports, board and committee minutes, conference materials, and publications. A few brochures, minutes and conference materials on the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) are also included.
Researchers should note that these materials include official AFIPS records as well as materials from the personal papers of several organization presidents: Walter Anderson (1972-1973), Eddie Ashmore (1987), and Howard Funk (1988-1990). For example, the majority of “Board of Directors Minutes” files include only the official minutes of the board and attachments, but some files also include notes, correspondence, and other materials gathered by Walter Anderson in his capacity as AFIPS president.
Acronyms used in this finding aid:
- CSC = Conference Steering Committee
- EJCC = Eastern Joint Computer Conference
- FJCC = Fall Joint Computer Conference
- HQ = AFIPS headquarters
- IAP = Industry Advisory Panel
- IFIP = International Federation of Information Processing
- NCC = National Computing Conference
- OAC = Office Automation Conference
- SJCC = Spring Joint Computer Conference
- WJCC = Western Joint Computer Conference
Dates
- 1960-1990
Language of Materials
English
Use of Materials:
Access to the collection is unrestricted.
Copyright:
The Charles Babbage Institute holds the copyright to all materials in the collection, except for items 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).
Historical Note
The American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) was established on May 10, 1961, to advance and disseminate knowledge in the field of information science and to represent member societies on an international level in the newly formed International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). The three founding societies of AFIPS were the Association for Computing Machinery, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and the Institute of Radio Engineers (the latter two eventually merged into the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers).
AFIPS was managed by a board of directors, originally called the "Governing Board." Each member society had one to three directors on the board depending on the size of the society; each affiliated member had one director. Under this board were various committees including the executive committee, the education committee, the finance committee, and the awards committee.
AFIPS was an outgrowth of the National Joint Computer Committee, which was established in 1951 and sponsored the Eastern and Western Joint Computer Conferences (EJCC, WJCC). AFIPS took over major sponsorship of the semi-annual conferences beginning in 1962, and renamed them the Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences (SJCC, FJCC). The conferences were merged into one annual conference and renamed the National Computer Conference (NCC) in 1973. A conference board set the overall direction and policies of the conferences, coordinated the actions of the Conference Steering Committee and the National Computer Conference Committee, and referred problems to appropriate committees such as the finance and executive committees of AFIPS. The conferences featured technical sessions and exhibits relating to the field of information processing. The National Computer Conference was discontinued after 1987.
AFIPS also supported smaller conferences and workshops such as the Office Automation Conference (OAC), produced publications including the Annals of the History of Computing,and presented the annual Harry Goode Memorial Award to individuals of outstanding achievement in information processing.
AFIPS was dissolved in 1990. The IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) continued the Goode Award, and took over publication of Annals(renamed the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing). The IEEE-CS also joined the ACM to form the Federation on Computing in the United States (FOCUS) in 1991, to take the place of AFIPS as the United States’ representative in IFIP. In 1999, IFIP accepted separate membership for both IEEE-CS and ACM, and FOCUS was dissolved.
Sources:
- Annals of the History of Computing. 8: 3 (July 1986). Special Issue: AFIPS, 1961-1986, 25th Anniversary.
- Ralston, Anthony, ed., Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Engineering, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1983, pp. 60-61.
Extent
17 boxes (10.7 cubic feet)
Abstract
The American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) records document the organization’s administration and activities, and the AFIPS-sponsored Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences (later the National Computer Conference). The records include budget and financial information, reports, board and committee minutes, conference materials, and publications.
Arrangement of Collection
The materials in this collection are arranged into the following groups:
- Administration, 1960-1988
- Board of Directors Minutes, 1964-1989
- Committee Files, 1964-1990
- Conference Board Minutes, 1969-1986
- Conferences, 1969-1988
- IFIP Records, 1962-1989
- Publications, 1962-1986
Most materials are alphabetical within, with the exception of board of directors and conference board minutes, which are arranged chronologically.
Acquisition:
The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by the American Federation of Information Processing Societies in 1988, by Eddie M. Ashmore in 1991, by Howard Funk in 1991, and by Walter L. Anderson in 2002.
- American Federation of Information Processing Societies
- Anderson, Walter L. (Walter Leonard), 1922-
- Asmus, H. G.
- Computer industry -- Awards Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Computer industry -- Societies, etc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Electronic data processing -- Awards Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Electronic data processing -- Societies, etc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Gilchrist, Bruce, 1930-
- Joint Computer Conference
- National Computer Conference
- Tanaka, Richard I.
- Title
- American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) Records, 1960-1990. Finding Aid.
- Author
- Prepared by Kevin D. Corbitt, April 1991; revised by Josh Knatterud-Hubinger, May 2002 and Carrie Seib, August 2002.
- Date
- 2002
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Charles Babbage Institute Archives Collecting Area
Elmer L. Andersen Library
222 - 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55455
612-624-5050
cbi@umn.edu
