Charles A. Phillips papers.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains minutes, publications, speeches, proceedings, correspondence and photographs related to Charles Phillips work in standardization with CODASYL and the American National Standards Institute's X.3 Committee (Computers and Information Processing) which Phillips chaired, and his employment at the Business Equipment Manufacturers Association. The majority of the collection reflects Phillips' interest in COBOL standards including a collection of articles, presentations, and reports on COBOL development that Phillips assembled.
Dates
- 1959-1985
Creator
- Phillips, Charles A., 1906-1985 (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Access to materials:
Access to the collection is unrestricted.
Copyright:
CBI 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).
Biographical Note
Charles A. Phillips began working with computers at the Treasury, and later at the State Department after World War II. In the 1950s, he transferred to the Defense Department where he became a data systems languages expert. Phillips left government service in 1962 to become the first leader of the Data Processing Group of the Business Equipment Manufacturers Association from 1962 to 1972. In 1972 he joined the accounting firm of Lybrand, Ross Borthers, and Montgomery as director of management consulting services. In 1976 he returned to the Computer and Business Equipment Association as a consultant to write a history of the computer industry.
Phillips was active in the standardization of the computing industry, especially programming languages. He was the first chairman of the executive committee of the Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL), which initiated the development of COBOL.
Extent
1 box (0.75 cubic feet)
Abstract
Collection contains minutes, publication, speeches, proceedings, correspondence and photographs related to Charles Phillips work in standardization with the Conference on Data Systems Languages and the American National Standards Institute's X3 Committee (Computers and information processing), which Phillips chaired, and his employment at the Business Equipment Manufacturers Association.
Arrangement of Collection
The materials in this collection are arranged into the following groups:
- American National Standards Institute Files, 1969-1972
- Business Equipment Manufacturers Association Files, 1963-1972
- COBOL History, 1959-1962
- CODASYL Files, 1959-1979
- Conferences, 1968-`984
- Photographs
- Presentations, 1962-1972
- Publications, 1954-1962
Acquisition:
The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association in 1986.
- American National Standards Institute.
- Business Equipment Manufacturers Association (U.S.)
- COBOL (Computer program language) -- Standards Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Computer industry -- United States -- History -- Sources Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Conference on Data Systems Languages
- Electronic data processing consultants Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Phillips, Charles A., 1906-1985
- Title
- Charles A. Phillips Papers, 1959-1985. Finding Aid.
- Author
- Prepared by Kevin D. Corbitt, August 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
Elmer L. Andersen Library
222 - 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55455
612-624-5050
cbi@umn.edu
