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Guide to the George R. Trimble Jr. collection
X4586.2008
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Title: George R. Trimble Jr. collection
Identifier/Call Number: X4586.2008
Contributing Institution:
Computer History Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
10.0 Linear feet,
8 record cartons
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1955-1975
Date (inclusive): 1948-2000
Abstract: The George R. Trimble Jr. collection contains reports, papers, manuals, correspondence, conference proceedings, and notes
that document Trimble’s career in computer and data processing design and development from 1948 to 2000, with the bulk of
the collection from 1955 to 1975. Materials come from Trimble’s work at the Ballistic Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving
Ground, IBM, Computer Usage Company, Penta Computer Associates, and as an independent consultant. Projects Trimble worked
on include programming the ENIAC computer, design and software development of the IBM 650 and 700 series computers, design
of traffic control and transit systems, and software and system design for companies like Lockheed Electronics Company and
Texas Instruments. The collection also includes manuals, reports, and papers authored by Trimble.
Collection processed by Bo Doub and Kim Hayden, May 2015.
The collection is open for research.
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.
[Identification of Item], [Date], George R. Trimble Jr. collection, Lot X4586.2008, Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer
History Museum.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Helen Trimble, 2007.
George R. Trimble Jr. was born April 26, 1929, in Elkton, Maryland. He received his BA from St. John's College in Annapolis,
Maryland, in 1948, and his master's degree in mathematics from the University of Delaware in Newark in 1952.
In 1948, Trimble began working at the Computing Laboratory of the Ballistic Research Laboratories at Aberdeen Proving Ground
in Aberdeen, Maryland, where he contributed to the programming and development of the ENIAC, EDVAC, ORDVAC computers as well
Bell Laboratories and International Business Machine's (IBM) relay calculators. He joined IBM's research labs in Endicott,
New York, in 1952 and worked as a senior staff member of the Applied Science Division where he helped design many of IBM's
early computers, including the 650 and 700 series systems, and wrote one of the first commercially available software programs
for the 650.
Trimble moved on to Computer Usage Company (CUC) in 1956, spending 12 years at the software development company as corporate
technical director of systems programming. While at CUC, he supervised major application programs and was involved in most
of the company's projects, including heading the design of a computer-based air traffic control system for the Federal Aviation
Administration and the development of software and an operating system for the Texas Instruments Advanced Scientific Computer.
In 1968, Trimble left CUC and went to Penta Computer Associates as the vice president of research and development. At Penta,
he worked on the design and development of applications, mainly real-time and systems programming, and conceived and developed
Penta's KeyLogic data entry system. Trimble left Penta in 1971 after it was acquired by REDCOR and began working as an independent
consultant with his own business, T-Logic. Projects Trimble worked on as a consultant include the design of personal rapid
transit systems for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Urban Mass Transportation Administration and the creation of software
for companies like Mergenthaler Linotype Company and Lockheed Electronics Company, among others. Trimble also led seminars
and talks on computing around the world. He died March 13, 2007.
Scope and Content of the Collection
The George R. Trimble Jr. collection contains technical papers, conference proceedings, and manuals from Trimble's work at
institutions including the Ballistic Research Laboratory and Computer Usage Company, as well as records from Trimble's projects
as an independent consultant. The majority of the collection's independent consulting reports relate to the Mergenthaler 5500
System and also personal rapid transit system projects for the Urban Mass Transportation Administration. A significant amount
of the technical papers and conference proceedings in this collection were authored by Trimble and relate to his work at BRL,
CUC, and Penta Computer Associates, though writings by others are also included. Small amounts of promotional materials and
catalogs are interfiled with technical papers and manuals when they are related to the same programs and products. The collection
spans 1948 through 2000 with the bulk of the collection being from 1955 to 1975 during Trimble's years at CUC, Penta Computer
Associates, and as an independent consultant.
The collection is arranged into 4 series:
Series 1, Projects, 1966-1995, bulk 1972-1975
Series 2, Technical papers, notes, and program descriptions, 1948-2000, bulk 1952-1982
Series 3, Conference proceedings, 1952-2000, bulk 1953-1974
Series 4, Manuals and specifications, 1966-1988, bulk 1968-1973
Computer Usage Company, Corporate Histories Collection,
http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/view.php?s=select&cid=13
Professional Services History Meeting, Lot X3805.2007, Catalog number 102657948.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Computer engineering
Computer software--Development
Computer systems--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Computer systems--Specifications
Computer Usage Company
Personal rapid transit
Trimble, George R., Jr.