The Software History Center was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on the business history of software companies; initial focus was on mainframe software companies, but extended to minicomputer software companies and personal computer software companies. The organization was independent from 2000 until 2005, when it became associated with the Computer History Museum. During this period, it received funding from the Alfred P Sloan Foundation to initiate the IT Corporate Histories Project. This collection includes records about the development and operation of the organization, documentation of its major projects, and historical texts collected by its founders, Luanne Johnson and Burton Grad.

The Software History Center was founded by Luanne Johnson and Burt Grad in 2000. Both Johnson and Grad worked in the software industry during its early development. Johnson founded Argonaut Information Systems, a company that produced payroll and personnel software, in 1971. She ran this company for 15 years, before taking a position in 1986 as executive director at the Association of Data Processing Service Organizations (ADAPSO). She later served as the president of this organization, which was renamed as the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). Grad worked at both General Electric and IBM during his early career, where he was involved with programming and software development for mainframe computers, primarily focused on automation for businesses. While at IBM, Grad was involved in the Unbundling Task Force which announced the development of separately priced software in 1969. He went on to start his own consulting firm in 1978, Burton Grad Associates, Inc., providing a variety of services to software companies.

5.0 Linear feet, 4 record cartons

The Computer History Museum (CHM) can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claims of the copyright holder. Requests for copying and permission to publish, quote, or reproduce any portion of the Computer History Museum’s collection must be obtained jointly from both the copyright holder (if applicable) and the Computer History Museum.

The collection is open for research.