Guide to the Software History Center records
Finding aid prepared by Adrienne Harling and Sara Chabino Lott
Processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from the Computer History Museum’s Software Industry
Special Interest Group.
Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, CA, 94043
(650) 810-1010
research@computerhistory.org
October 2016
Title: Software History Center records
Identifier/Call Number: X3408.2006
Contributing Institution:
Computer History Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
5.0 Linear feet,
4 record cartons
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1997-2005
Date (inclusive): 1967-2007
Abstract: 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.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], [Date], Software History Center records, Lot X3408.2006, Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer
History Museum.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Software History Center, 2005.
Biographical/Historical Note
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.
Both Johnson and Grad had a special interest in preserving the history of the software industry they had been a part of, particularly
the pre-PC software industry in which hundreds of software companies thrived prior to the advent of the personal computer.
They felt that this history, often overlooked, was at risk and deserved lasting recognition. Johnson and Grad created a 401c(3)
non-profit, obtained seed money from a number of private individuals and foundations, and established clear goals and strategies
to accomplish the core mission of the organization. This mission was to preserve “information about the companies, people,
products, and events that shaped the evolution of the industry.” This effort was focused on business history, or how companies
identified markets and created successful business models to succeed in those markets, in addition to the history of software
technology that was already the focus of other history preservation efforts.
All sectors of the software and services industry were included in the scope, including batch and remote processing companies,
software products companies, software professional services companies, and systems integrators/VARS. Primarily an education
and outreach organization, the Software History Center sought to 1) identify, preserve, and provide access to existing documentation
of early software industry history, 2) create, preserve, and provide access to new documentation capturing knowledge of people
with industry experience and perspective, and 3) encourage use of these materials by researchers.
With these goals in mind, the Software History Center completed several projects supported by funders and collaborators including
(but not limited to) the Smithsonian Institution, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Charles Babbage Institute. These
projects included: • “One for the History Books” Workshop - In September 2000, in conjunction with the Charles Babbage Institute
Conference on Unbundling, The Software History Center held a workshop titled “One for the History Books” in which 30 conference
participants provided interviews. These interviews were transcribed and made into a booklet for distribution. • ADAPSO Reunion.
The Software History Center organized an ADAPSO reunion in 2002. At this reunion, fifteen people provided interviews that
were transcribed. • IEEE Annals Special Issue. The Software History Center organized the contribution of articles for a special
issue of the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing (Volume 24 Number 1 January-March 2002). This issue was focused on the
start of the software products industry in the 1960s. • Software History Center Website and Information Technology Corporate
Histories Project. The Software History Center initially built a website containing information about early software companies.
Building on this effort, in 2004, the Software History Center collaborated with the Charles Babbage Institute and Computer
History Museum to start and manage the Information Technology Corporate Histories Project (ITCHP), focused on enhancing the
use of the Internet as a leading source for valuable historic information about selected companies in the information technology
field.
In 2005, the Software History Center became associated with the Computer History Museum and formed the Software Business History
Committee, later called the Software Industry Special Interest Group (SI SIG), which continues to serve the original mission
of the Software History Center today.
Scope and Content of the Collection
This collection contains documentation of the Software History Center from its origins to its ending as an independent non-profit
organization. Dates span from 1967-2007, with most materials created between 1997-2005. Administrative records include documentation
of the legal formation and dissolution of the organization, operational income, expense, and tax records, records pertaining
to the visioning and planning of the organization, communication with funders and collaborators, and professionally produced
promotional materials about the purpose and accomplishments of the center. The collection also includes records from the implementation
of several of the Software History Center’s major projects. These include manuscripts of articles that were published in a
special issue of the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, transcripts of oral history interviews of software industry
experts, and significant materials regarding the planning and implementation of an ADAPSO reunion that the Software History
Center hosted in 2002. Many historical texts are also included in the collection, the bulk of which are publications of ADAPSO
and IBM.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 3 series:
Series 1, Administrative records, 1969-2007, bulk 1997-2005
Series 2, Projects, 1997-2004
Series 3, Historic texts, 1945-1997, bulk 1985-1992
Related Collections at CHM
The Software History Center was very involved with obtaining oral histories and organizing pioneer meetings to obtain information
for the Charles Babbage Institute and the Computer History Museum. Please search “Software History Center” in the Oral History
section of the Museum’s online catalog.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
ADAPSO Reunion (2002: Washington, D.C.)
Computer Software Industry--United States--History
Software History Center
Administrative records, Series 1,
Bulk, 1997-2005
1969-2007
Series Scope and Content
This series contains legal and financial records of the Software History Center, as well as documentation of its conception
and planning, communication with funders and collaborators, and informational and promotional materials about its vision,
mission, and accomplishments. Legal records pertain primarily to the initial incorporation of the Software History Center
and its ultimate association with the Computer History Museum. Financial records include documentation of income, expenses,
and taxes. Documentation of the operations of the Software History Center are included in board meeting minutes, correspondence
between the founders of the organization and other interested parties, and records from strategic planning efforts. Correspondence
with and information about potential collaborators are also included in this series. This series is arranged by subject and/or
like materials.
102762249
Incorporation correspondence
1999-2000
102762250
Software History Center corporate records
2000-2002; 2004
102762251
Software History Center, Inc. name reservation
2000
102762252
California form 199 / 2000
2000-2001
102762253
Form 990 / 2000
2000
102762254
Calif form 199 / 2001
2001
102762255
Form 990 / 2001
2001
102762257
Statement of information (domestic nonprofit corporation)
2002
102762258
Taxes / federal tax-exempt status
2000
102762259
1099 filings
2002
102762260
Taxes / CA tax-exempt status
2000
102762261
Tax returns & supporting materials
2000-2002
102762262
Tax returns
2003-2005
102762267
Grad loans
2001
102762268
Financials
2004
102762275
Board meetings & minutes
2000-2003
102762276
Strategic planning meeting, May 2003
2001-2003
102762278
Early correspondence
1997-2002
102762280
Collection / retention
2001-2003
102762281
Aricles & anecdotes submitted
1989
102762282
Hagley museum / archive
1989; 2001
102762283
IBM archive
1969; 2001
102762284
Smithsonian
2001
102762285
Charles Babbage Foundation
1998; 2002
102762286
Charles Babbage Institute
2001; 2003-2004
102762288
Proposal to Charles Babbage Foundation
2003-2004
102762289
Sloan contract
2003
102762290
Sloan press release
2004
102762291
Interim report to Sloan
2005
102762292
Project extension
2006
102762293
Final report to Sloan
2007
102762294
Sloan proposal
2003
102762295
Additional companies to research
1973
102762296
Aquisition by Computer History Museum / dissolution of Software History Center
2005
102762297
Acquisition by Computer History Museum
2002-2004
102762299
Software History Center / Computer History Museum merger discussions / actions
2003-2005
102762300
Software History Center brochure
undated
102762301
Software History Center / Computer History Museum packet
1985; 1991; 1994; 1996; 1998; 2001-2004
102762302
Loose / miscellaneous
1990; 2002; 2004
Projects, Series 2,
1997-2004
Series Scope and Content
This series contains documentation about four of the Software History Center’s major projects. There are drafts of manuscripts,
correspondence, and supporting materials relating to articles for a special issue of IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
focused on early software industry history. There are interview transcripts, correspondence, planning documents and presentation
materials related to the “One for the History Books” workshop that the Computer History Museum hosted at the 2000 Charles
Babbage Institute Conference on Unbundling. There are materials about the original Software History Center website, and extensive
records about the planning of the ADAPSO reunion that the Software History Center organized as well as the oral history interviews
that were collected during that reunion. This series is arranged by project.
102762303
ADAPSO and the service bureau industry, 1961-1968
2004
102762304
Haigh research
2001-2004
102762307
IEEE Annals
2001-2002
102762308
Charles Babbage Institute conference / unbundling
2000-2001
102762309
The Software History Center "One for the history books" workshop transcript
2000
102762310
September 2000 meeting attendees & program
2000
102762311
Sept 2000 meeting / transcript
2000
102762312
Photographs - Sept 2000 conference
2000
102762313
Website
1997-2002
102762314
Website agreements BGAI / Software History Center
1997-1998
102762315
ADAPSO reunion handouts packet
2002
102762316
ADAPSO reunion transcript style notes
2002
102762317
ADAPSO reunion transcript editing / formatting notes
2003
102762318
ADAPSO reunion transcript glossary
2003
102762319
ADAPSO reunion workshop attendee lists & notes
2002
102762320
ADAPSO reunion transcript ITAA ok on logo use
2003
102762321
ADAPSO reunion attendees
2002
102762322
Oral history photos / ADAPSO reunion photos
2002-2003
102762323
ADAPSO reunion book
2003
102762324
ADAPSO meeting handouts & photos
2002
102762325
ADAPSO reunion planning
2002
102762326
ADAPSO reunion plenary presentation workshop and oral history transcriptions
2002
102762327
ADAPSO reunion meeting anecdotes
2002
102762328
ADAPSO reunion - workshops
2002
102762329
ADAPSO reunion book plenary sessions workshops 1-5
2002
102762330
ADAPSO reunion workshop 6-10
2002
102762331
Oral history interviews - 14 oral history transcripts
2002-2003
102762332
Oral history interviews
2002
Historic texts, Series 3,
Bulk, 1985-1992
1967-1997
Series Scope and Content
This series primarily contains technical and industry reports published by ADAPSO (ITAA) and International Business Machines
Corporation (IBM). It is arranged by publisher.
102762334
Fulfilling the computer's promise : the history of informatics 1962-1982 volume 1
1985
102762335
IBM alumni directory
1997-05
102762336
SAA...a guide for evaluating applications
1989
102762337
Applications and abstracts
1978
102762338
Atlas of applications volumes 1 and 2
1973; 1974
102762339
Operations research books
1967
102762340
Management science at work : a bibliography covering all enterprises, all functions, and all
techniques
1971
102762341
An introduction to modelling using mixed integer programming
1971
102762342
Outlines of statistical techniques, applications, and programs for industry, engineering
science
1967
102762343
Linear programming technical reports
undated
102762344
The technology of quality : evolution vs revolution
1992
102762345
Computer viruses publications
1989; 1990
102762346
Co-operative processing
1989
102762347
Software development technology
1986
102762348
Portable software products
1988
102762349
Report on computer connectivity
1987
102762350
Preparing software for export
1991
102762351
Graphical user interfaces
1990
