Isaac L. Auerbach papers
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains documentation of Isaac Auerbach's activities in several professional associations, especially IFIP, and his consulting and other business activities. The IFIP records include materials about the biennial congresses and document the growth and activities of the federation. The records also document its relationship with other professional organizations. The AFIPS records focus on the History of Computing Committee and the Computer History Project dating from the late 1960s to mid 1970s. This project included work with the Smithsonian Institution and the Charles Babbage Institute.
Some of Auerbach's consulting activities with government and private groups, such as the CTAB, are documented. There are reports from the Auerbach Advisory Service, Auerbach Information Sciences and Technology, Auerbach Institute, and Auerbach Simplact, as well as records of Auerbach Publishing, a memo from Auerbach to Eckert and Mauchly dated 1948, some computer programs, and films and photographs related to Auerbach's consulting work and the history of the computer industry.
The Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the International Federation of Automatic Control are also represented in the collection.
Dates
- 1948-1987
- bulk 1957-1987
Creator
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
Isaac L. Auerbach earned a BS at Drexel University in 1943. After earning his MS from Harvard in 1947, he became resident engineer at the Univac Division of Sperry Rand. In 1949 he moved to Burroughs Corporation as manager of the Defense Space and Special Products Division. In 1957 he left to form his own company, Auerbach Associates, Inc. He was president of this company until 1976, when he sold the company to its executives. He then founded Isaac L. Auerbach Inc. Consultants and became its president. He was also chairman of Auerbach Corporation Science and Technology, 1957-1983, and president (1960-1981) and later chairman (1981-1986) of Auerbach Publishers.
Auerbach was active in computer societies, especially the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS), where he worked on the History of Computing Committee (HOCC). In 1960 he helped found the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), and was its first president, from 1960-1965.
He worked on government committees as well, including acting as chair for the Commerce Technical Advisory Board (CTAB) working group for the development of a system for U.S. science and technology information.
Extent
11 boxes (9.5 cubic feet)
Abstract
Collection contains documentation of Isaac L. Auerbach's activities in several professional associations, especially IFIP, his consulting, and other business activities. The IFIP records include materials about the biennial congresses and document the growth and activities of the federation; its relationship with other professional organizations is also documented. The AFIPS records focus on the History of Computing Committee and the Computer History Project of the late 1960s to mid 1970s, including work with the Smithsonian Institution and the Charles Babbage Institute. The Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the International Federation of Automatic Control are also represented in the collection. Some of Auerbach's consulting activities with government and private groups, such as the CTAB, are also documented.
Arrangement of Collection
The materials in this collection are arranged into the following groups:
- IFIP Records, 1958-1983
- Records of Other Associations, 1959-1987
- Consulting, 1965-1984
- Miscellaneous History Materials, 1948, 1978-1980
- Miscellaneous Programs, 1965, ca. 1980
- Photographs and Film, 1946-1975
Acquisition:
The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Isaac Auerbach in 1989.
- American Federation of Information Processing Societies
- American Federation of Information Processing Societies. History of Computing Committee
- Association for Computing Machinery
- Auerbach Associates
- Auerbach, Isaac L. (Isaac Levin), 1921-1992
- Burroughs Corporation
- Charles Babbage Institute
- Commerce Technical Advisory Board.
- Computer History Project.
- Computer industry -- History. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Computer industry -- Societies, etc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Computers -- History. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Electric engineering -- Societies, etc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Electronic data processing -- Societies, etc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- International Federation for Information Processing
- International Federation of Automatic Control.
- Smithsonian Institution.
- Title
- Isaac L. Auerbach Papers, 1948-1987. Finding Aid.
- Author
- Prepared by Pat Hennessy and Kevin D. Corbitt, February 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
