Description
The William H. Meek collection contains manuals, publications, promotional material, correspondence, and programming projects
from 1944 through 1983 that document Meek's interests in computers, mechanical engineering, and the interlocking six-piece
Burr puzzle. Meek was an instrumentation specialist at Dow Chemical Company into the mid-1960s, but he spent most of his life
researching, evaluating, and acquiring early computer systems. He was greatly interested in analyzing the mechanics behind
Burr puzzles and wrote his own computer programs to aid in his analysis. This collection is made up largely of manuals and
technical information regarding the IBM System/3, and programming source code and tests in various early programming languages.
Background
William H. Meek was born in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, on June 2, 1917. He received his BA from Wayne State University in
Detroit, Michigan, and a master's degree from the University of Michigan. Meek first worked as a paint chemist for Ditzler
Paints in Ann Arbor, Michigan. During World War II he joined the United States Navy and worked as a radar technician on the
USS Newcomb from 1941 through 1945. After the war, Meek began a long career at Dow Chemical Company as an instrumentation
specialist designing, building, and repairing equipment for testing products sold by the company. He worked in the Technical
Service & Development (TS&D) department at Dow's office in Midland, Michigan, for over 25 years, retiring in the mid 1960s.
Extent
5.34 Linear feet
1 record carton, 1 manuscript box, 2 oversize boxes, 2 small boxes
Restrictions
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.
Availability
The collection is open for research.