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Guide to the Gene M. Amdahl Papers

X3242.2006

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Table of contents

Collection Contents

box 1

Biographical sketches 1991-1995

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .416 linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

Biographical Sketches consists primarily of transcripts of oral histories conducted by Linda Runyan as part of her contract with Amdahl to write an authorized biography of his life. Most of the interviews are with Amdahl or his wife Marion, but other associates and relatives are included. There is also a transcript of a lengthy oral history conducted by the Center for the History of Information Processing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and a copy of an unpublished biography of Amdahl. One item of note is a list of all U.S. patents listing Amdahl as inventor between 1964 and 1991 in box 1, folder 1 026 8080 7. This series has been maintained in its original order.

102680807 Linda Runyon's background material for an Amdahl biography 1991

102680808 Gene Amdahl, Lars Brendsel, Wilbur Johnson, Arlene Amdahl Zeigler, Ollie Amdahl, Lowell Amdahl, Marion Amdahl, Evelyn Amdahl Olsen, Alton Amdahl 1992

102680809 Gene Amdahl, Marion Amdahl, Lowell Amdahl 1991-1992

102680810 Gene Amdahl 1992-17-03

102680811 Gene Amdahl 1992-03

102680812 Gene Amdahl, Marion Amdahl, Arlene Amdahl Ziegler, Harold Hall 1991-1992

102680813 AA possibly Arlene Amadhal Zeigler 1992-05-08

102680814 Lavon Hall, Harold Hall, Lowell Amdahl, Marion Amdahl 1992

102680815 Marion Amdahl 1992-03-03

102680816 Evelyn Olson, Lowell Amdahl, Marion Amdahl 1992

102680817 Remarks of George Bragg delivered at the Computer & Communications Industry Association's award dinner honoring Amdahl circa 1989

102680818 Prairie Daydreamer: Gene M. Amdahl 1997-12-01

102680819 Gene Amdahl, Harold Hall 1991

102680820 Interview with Gene M. Amdahl 1986-04-16-1989-04-05

102680821 History of Orin Amdahl 1995-05-08

box 2

Inventions 1952-1986

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .209 linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

Inventions is possibly the richest series in the collection. The bulk of the material is related to Amdahl's patent application process for the Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer (WISC) (1952-1954). There is correspondence with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation that reveals Amdahl's feeling that the greatest potential for a computer involving his logic lay in the field of business computation as well as his ideas for changes in the WISC that would make it more useful for business purposes. There are also copies of amendments to the patent application and photostat drawings of WISC parts with hand annotated corrections. Also in this series are Amdahl's doctoral thesis from the Dept. of Physics, University of Wisconsin, research papers circa 1956, and original preliminary designs for the Amdahl 580 (1975). This series is arranged chronologically.

102680823 Doctoral thesis. Logical design of an intermediate speed digital computer 1952

102680824 Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer (WISC) patent application process 1952-1954

102680825 While working for Aeronutronic Systems, Inc. 1956

102680826 Various computers circa 1959

102680827 System/360 and the high performance model 92 circa 1964

102680828 Design beginning for Amdahl 580 OSLO 1975

102680829 Patent - module construction for semiconductor chip 1986-07-29

box 1

Correspondence 1978-1992

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .106 linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

Series 3, Correspondence 1978-1992, primarily contains thank you letters from students attending South Dakota State University who received Amdahl endowed scholarships. Interfiled with the thank you correspondence are copies of press releases issued by SDSU announcing the recipients of Amdahl scholarships. There is a small amount of philanthropic correspondence between Amdahl and organizations he donated money to in South Dakota and California, as well as Lutheran institutions. There is a small amount of minor professional correspondence. One item of interest is a request from the Heinz Awards to Amdahl to evaluate the merits of Frederick P. Brooks in regards to his nomination for a 1998 Heinz Award. Attached to the letter is a handwritten draft of Amdahl's favorable response. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

102680822 Philanthropic 1978-1988

102680831 Professional associates 1964-1999

102680832 Requests for personal papers 1986-1989

102680830 Thank yous 1992-1998

box 1, 3

Printed material 1952-2001

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .957 linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

Printed material contains clippings and monographs related to Amdahl or the Amdahl Corporation. This series is organized in 2 subseries:

box 1

Printed: Clippings circa 1952-2001

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .54 linear feet

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

Clippings contains articles which appeared in newspapers, journals, magazines, and newsletters. They are from popular and scholarly publications and include English, French, and German language works. Amdahl kept entire issues of serials, however, during processing complete issues were kept only if they were computer related non-duplicates or especially unique, otherwise the single article was clipped. Included in this series are 3 Amdahl Corporation newsletters, Amdahl Update (1978, 1990, and 1999). This subseries is arranged chronologically.

102680833 circa 1952-1967 circa 1952-1967

102680835 IBM Systems Journal 1965-04

102680834 1967 1967

102680636 1970, 1973 1970-1973

102680637 1974-1975 1974-1975

102680638 1976-1977 1976-1977

102680853 1978 1978

102680639 1979 1979

102680640 1980 1980

102680641 1981 1981

102680642 1982 1982

102680643 1983 1983

102680644 1984-1985 1984-1985

102680645 1987 1987

102680646 1988 1988

102680647 1989 1989

102680648 1990 1990

102680649 1991 1991

102680651 1997 1997

102680652 1998 1998

102680854 2000 2000

102680855 2001 2001

box 3

Printed: Monographs 1973-1986

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .417 linear feet

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

Monographs contains books which feature or mention Amdahl or the Amdahl Corporation. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by title.

102680858 A century of honors: the first one-hundred years of award winners, honorary members, past presidents, and fellows of the institute 1984

102680856 Amdahl 470/6 system machine reference manual 1973

102680859 Fortune favors the brave: Fujitsu thirty years in computers 1986

102680862 Silicon Valley fever: growth of high-technology culture 1984

102680864 Thesis and essays commemorative of Dr. Toshio Ikeda circa 1975

box 1

Ephemera 1964-1995

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .145 linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

Ephemera primarily contains programs from ceremonies and award dinners that Amdahl either attended or was an honoree at. In addition, there is a significant amount of material related to Amdahl's centennial alumnus award from South Dakota State University as well as material related to Amdahl's professional visits to China as a guest lecturer. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

102680867 Ceremony programs 1964-1995

102680865 China seminars 1989-1991

102680868 Quadrato Della Radio membership circa 1980

102680866 South Dakota State University Centennial Alumnus Award 1987

box 1

Photographs circa 1970-circa 1990

Creator: Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-

Physical Description: .023 linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

Photographs includes 5 photographs that were found in the original box of monographs. There are two color photographs of unidentified computer chips and three snapshots of Amdahl. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

102680869 Computer chips circa 1970-circa 1990

102680870 Gene M. Amdahl circa 1970-circa 1990

Collection Contents

Biographical sketches

Inventions

Correspondence

Printed material

Printed: Clippings

Printed: Monographs

Ephemera

Photographs