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Willis H. Ware papers.

 Collection
Identifier: CBI 40

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains meeting and hearing transcripts, background notebooks, reports, statements, presentations, briefings, and other miscellaneous records from the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data Systems (APDS) and the Privacy Protection Study Commission (PPSC) that Ware collected in his capacity of chairman and vice chairman respectively. The collection also includes company files collected by Ware during his career.

Topics include: computers and the rights of citizens, technology and privacy, personal privacy in an information society, automated personal data systems, and the privacy implications of medical, credit, and other records.

Dates

  • Creation: 1948-1997

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Access to 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).

Biographical Note

Willis H. Ware was one of the original staff members of the Electronic Computer Project at the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton in 1946. In 1952, Ware joined Rand Corporation and from 1964 to 1971, he served as the head of the Computer Sciences Department at Rand and became a senior member of the corporate research staff. Ware was the first president of the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) and received several awards including the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Centennial Medal and AFIPS' Distinguished Service Award.

Ware was chairman of the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare's Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data, which was established in 1972 ...in response to growing concern about the harmful consequences that may result from uncontrolled application of computer and telecommunications technology to the collection, storage, and use of data about individual citizens.The committee's report entitled Records Computers and the Rights of Citizens,published in July 1973, led to the Federal Privacy Act of 1974.

Ware also served as vice-chairman of the Privacy Protection Study Commission which was created by the Privacy Act of 1974. The commission devoted two years to its study of personal data used by government and the private sector. Its final report entitled Personal Privacy in an Information Society and the associated appendices made recommendations for protecting personal data.

Extent

17 boxes (15 cubic feet)

Abstract

Collection contains reports, proceedings, reference material, publications and correspondence relating to Willis Ware's career and professional involvement with the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare's Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data and the Privacy Protection Study Commission.

Arrangement of Collection

The materials in this collection are arranged into the following groups:

  1. Automated Personal Data Systems (ADPS) Records, 1972-1973
  2. Privacy Protection Study Commission (PPSC) Records, 1975-1977

Acquisition:

The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Willis H. Ware in 1980 and 2000.

Title
Willis H. Ware Papers, 1948-1997. Finding Aid.
Author
Prepared by Kevin D. Corbitt, August 1991; Stephanie Crowe, May 2010.
Date
March 2004, May 2010
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