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Title: Guide to the Rey Johnson Papers
Dates: 1933-1998
Collection number: X3312.2006
Creator:
Johnson, Rey
Collection Size:
1 linear foot
1 box
Repository:
Computer History Museum
Mountain View, CA 94043
Abstract: Reynold B. (Rey) Johnson's papers are comprised of International Business Machines (IBM) company documents, newspaper clippings,
project ideas and drawings, and photographs from his thirty-seven years with IBM. Of particular note is Johnson's involvement
in the development of magnetic disk storage during the 1950s.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection is open for research.
The Computer History Museum can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any
claims of the copyright holder. Permission to copy or publish any portion of the Computer History Museum's collection must
be given by the Computer History Museum.
[Identification of Item], [Date], Rey Johnson papers, Lot X3312.2006, Box [#], Folder [#], Computer History Museum
The Rey Johnson papers were donated by his son, David R. Johnson, to the Computer History Museum in 2005.
Biography / Administrative History
Rey Johnson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in education. While teaching high school science in
Michigan, Johnson developed a machine to electronically grade multiple-choice tests taken in pencil. He sold the idea to
IBM in 1934 and took a job as a senior engineer at their Endicott, NY laboratory where he worked on projects involving punch
cards.
In 1952, IBM sent Johnson to San Jose, CA to set up a West Coast laboratory. Johnson and the San Jose team developed magnetic
disk storage, which was marketed as the IBM 305 RAMAC in 1956. Johnson retired from IBM in 1971. Johnson had more than 90
patents to his name.
Scope and Content of Collection
Rey (Reynold B.) Johnson's papers are comprised of IBM company documents, newspaper clippings, project ideas and drawings,
and photographs.
The first series is Corporate and consists of papers and publications relating to IBM such as staff listings, internal news,
and programs from company dinners. This series contains several issues of Tabulating Pointers, which detailed tips and tricks
for accounting punch card machines, from the early 1930s. The second series is Johnson's Personal Papers containing personal
correspondence, news clippings, speeches, and accolades. The third series focuses on Johnson's Inventions and Projects.
There are two folders of mostly hand-written project ideas and drawings, as well as a transcript of an interview concerning
his test scoring machine.
- Series 1. Corporate papers
- Series 2. Personal papers
- Series 3. Inventions and projects
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Computer Industry
Computer Storage Devices
Punched card systems
International Business Machines Corporation. San Jose Research Laboratory
Test scoring machine
IBM 305 RAMAC (Computer)
National Medal of Technology
Johnson, Reynold B.
Physical objects including a prototype of Johnson's test scoring machine as well as photographs, mostly taken at the National
Medal of Technology ceremony in 1986, can be found in the CHM collections database at
http://www.computerhistory.org/search/ .