Saxon (Herbert) System Development Corporation Collection, 1969-1989

Summary

Title:

Herbert Saxon System Development Corporation Collection

Dates:

1969-1989

Creators:

Saxon, Herbert

Abstract:

System Development Corporation (SDC) was founded in 1956 in Santa Monica, California. SDC specialized in information technology and systems sciences. Herbert Saxon held a number of key management positions at SDC. The collection is largely focused on Herbert Saxon's work on a specific SDC project: the Emergency Command Control Communication System (ECCCS) for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The ECCCS was an automated police dispatching system designed to relieve congested radio frequencies and improve dispatching and field efficiency.

Extent:

1.125 linear feet

Language:

English.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection is largely focused on Herbert Saxon's work on a specific SDC project: the Emergency Command Control Communication System (ECCCS) for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) which was awarded to SDC in 1978 and subsequently deployed in 1983. Saxon was the proposal manager during the bidding stage with the City of Los Angeles, and then became the ECCCS project manager. Within SDC it was refered to by its acronym: ECCCS (pronounced "X"). The ECCCS was an automated police dispatching system designed to relieve congested radio frequencies and improve dispatching and field efficiency – the largest of its kind in the world at the time.

Materials include SDC newsletters, summary documents from the ECCCS project, Saxon's presentation papers and conference materials from international science and engineering conferences, photographs of the ECCCS, and local law enforcement publications. The collection also includes a book published in 1981 that recounts the history of the company for its 25th anniversary.

The collection highlights the history of electronic information system development and information management.

Biographical / historical:

System Development Corporation (SDC) was founded in 1956 in Santa Monica, California. SDC specialized in information technology and systems sciences. SDC was founded as an Air Force sponsored nonprofit corporation. It evolved into a for-profit company that developed software and also full systems including hardware and communications for satellite control, energy production, missile defense, law enforcement, industrial automation, and more. In 1981 the company merged with Burrroughs.

Herbert Saxon held a number of key management positions at SDC including Director, Business Development-Air Operations Division; Department Manager, Public Safety and Civil Systems; and Director, Plans-Business Development. Saxon managed projects involving Command Control and Communications systems and information processing technologies for federal, state, and local governments. He also consulted internationally.

Acquisition information:

Jonathan Saxon, 2024

Processing information:

Carri Frola, 2024

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Microforms
Photographs
Documents
Ephemera

About this collection guide

Date Encoded:

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-05-28 10:53:05 -0700 .

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide.

Location of this collection:

California State University, Northridge, Urban Archives

18111 Nordhoff Street

Northridge, CA 91330, US

Contact:

(818) 677-4594

Website