Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title:
John P. Imlay papers
Identifier/Call Number: X3175.2005
Contributing Institution:
Computer History Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
7.67 Linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1966-1994
Abstract: The John P. Imlay papers consist of materials reflecting changes in the software industry during the 1970s and 1980s, specifically
within the software company Imlay led from 1971 through 1989, Management Science America, Inc. (MSA). This collection shows
the progression of a small business based in Atlanta, Georgia, growing into an international corporation valued at $333 million
when it was sold in 1989. The collection also shows how MSA’s software products changed during its lifetime, initially developing
software made for mainframe computers and then shifting its products’ design toward performing on personal computers (PCs)
in the late 1980s. Included in the collection are correspondence, publications, business records, legal documents, and conference
proceedings reflecting the life of Imlay and his company, MSA, which merged with McCormack & Dodge to form Dun & Bradstreet
Software Services (D&B Software) in 1989.
creator:
Imlay, John P.
Collection processed by Bo Doub and Kim Hayden, 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], John P. Imlay Papers, Lot X3175.2005, Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer History
Museum.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of John Imlay, 2005.
John P. Imlay Jr. was born in Jacksonville, Florida on August 26, 1936. He attended college at Georgia Tech in Atlanta and
received a BA in industrial management in 1959. After graduation Imlay worked for several companies, including Univac and
Honeywell. In 1971 Imlay was appointed chief executive officer of Management Science America, Inc. (MSA), a major software
company. Imlay was tasked with bringing the company out of bankruptcy. Under his leadership, MSA jettisoned the company’s
more than one dozen business lines, retaining only the software business, and grew from $2 million in revenue in 1970 to $280
million in 1989 when the company was purchased by The Dun & Bradstreet Corp. Imlay set aside a small percentage of his profits
from the sale of MSA – about $4 million — to invest in startups. Over the next two decades Imlay Investments Inc. provided
venture funds to more than 120 small technology companies. In 1996 Imlay retired after serving as chairman of Dun & Bradstreet
Software, the company formed with the merger of MSA and McCormack & Dodge. In 2010 Imlay retired from angel investing. He
died March 26, 2015.
Scope and Content of the Collection
The John P. Imlay papers contain materials collected by Imlay primarily during his leadership of the software company Management
Science America, Inc. (MSA). The records span 1966 through 1994 with the bulk of the collection being from 1971 to 1989 during
the time that Imlay held various leadership roles at MSA including board chairman, chief executive officer, and president.
The collection includes correspondence between Imlay and software industry leaders, publications both authored by MSA and/or
regarding MSA and its place in the software industry, business records, legal documents surrounding multiple litigations that
MSA was party to and United States Congress legislation that Imlay was personally involved in, MSA annual reports, and conference
proceedings.
The collection is arranged into 2 series:
Series 1, Correspondence and personal papers, 1972-1994
Series 2, Publications, 1966-1992
A portion of audio, ephemera, and photographs were separated from the main collection. Separated materials include promotional
materials for MSA and Compushop, slides and photographs of Imlay and others, and a promotional MSA audio record. To view catalog
records for the separated items please search CHM’s online catalog at
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search .
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Computer software
Computer software industry
Dun & Bradstreet Corporation
Dun and Bradstreet Software Services
Imlay, John P.
Management Science America