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Table of contents
Title: Peter R. Jennings papers
Identifier/Call Number: X7876.2017
Contributing Institution:
Computer History Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
33.5 Linear feet
22 record cartons, 5 software boxes, and 3 periodical boxes
Date (inclusive): 1974-2005
Abstract: The Peter R. Jennings papers are made up of the corporate and financial records of companies Jennings was involved with, most
notably VisiCorp, Gavilan, and Vasona. These records are largely concerned with the marketability of products and company
strategies. There are also a number of published materials collected by Jennings, and commercial software unrelated to Jennings'
companies but retained by him as part of this collection.
creator:
Jennings, Peter R., 1950-
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.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The collection contains media that has not been read by CHM staff. Contact the CHM archives staff for more information.
[Identification of Item], [Date], Peter R. Jennings papers, Lot X7876.2017, Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer History
Museum.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Peter Jennings, 2016.
Collection surveyed by Sydney Gulbronson Olson, 2017. Collection processed by Jack Doran, Pennington Ahlstrand, and Elena
Colón-Marrero, 2020.
Peter R. Jennings, born in Bedford, England, in 1950, is an inventor, personal computing software pioneer, entrepreneur, and
venture capitalist perhaps best known for having created Microchess, the first commercially successful chess program for microcomputer.
Jennings moved with his family to Ontario, Canada in the early 1960s. He attended McMaster University from 1968 to 1971, where
he earned a bachelor's degree in Physics. He received an MA in Physics from SUNY Stony Brook in 1972 and his MBA in Finance
and Marketing from McMaster University in 1974. Jennings married his wife, Jane Barle, in 1973.
Microchess, a chess playing application released in 1976, was one of the earliest and most successful commercially sold personal
computing programs. Jennings started Micro-Ware Limited in 1977 to distribute Microchess. He then co-founded Personal Software
in 1979 with Dan Fylstra. Personal Software was one of the first commercial personal computer software companies. Personal
Software “published” – that is, manufactured, documented, packaged, marketed, and sold – programs written by program “authors”
on a royalty basis. This software publishing, on the model of book publishing, was an important business approach in the personal
computing industry. Personal Software was renamed VisiCorp in 1982 after it began publication of the first spreadsheet, the
wildly successful VisiCalc. VisiCalc had been developed by Software Arts and the two companies would later be involved in
a lengthy lawsuit. VisiCorp merged with Paladin Software Corporation in 1984 a few short months after the lawsuit was settled
out of court. Paladin Software faced stiff competition and invested heavily in an ambitious integrated graphical software
environment, VisiOn. The company faded at the end of the 1980s. After selling VisiCorp, Jennings remained a primary shareholder
and board member. Jennings took part in a number of other business ventures ranging from founder to chairman to angel investor.
He was involved with Gavilan Computer, Associated Venture Investors (AVI), Vasona Corporation, Vivid Systems, Personics Corporation,
and Quantum Magnetics. He founded j.com in 1989 to market ham radio products, which was later sold to Ramsey Electronics.
Jennings continues to advise and invest in technology companies and startups.
Scope and Content of the Collection
The Peter R. Jennings papers consist of business records, financial documentation, legal correspondence, published manuals
and documentation, software, and a small amount of audio-visual material.
Much of the collection consists of business records from companies that Jennings founded, including Micro-Ware, Personal Software,
and VisiCorp, ranging in date from 1976 to 1985. Types of documentation include internal memos, internal and external correspondence,
communication with shareholders, board of director meeting minutes, trademark registration documents, and administrative and
staffing records. There are also materials pertaining to company strategy, such as market research reports and business plans.
Other records include financial statements, quarterly reports, stock option and offering information, legal agreements regarding
licensing and distribution, newspaper and article clippings, and notebooks belonging to Peter and Jane Jennings. There is
information on the merger of VisiCorp and Paladin, as well as records from the lawsuit and settlement between VisiCorp and
Software Arts. While most of these records pertain to Personal Software and VisiCorp, materials related to Microchess and
Micro-Ware are scattered throughout the collection.
A smaller portion of the collection relates to companies that Jennings worked with, in roles ranging from chairman to board
member to investor. This section consists primarily of shareholder documentation, since Jennings became an investor in a number
of technology companies. Other types of documentation include business plans and board minutes. Companies represented in this
section of the collection include Gavilan, Vivid Systems, Vasona, Personics Corporation, Datawatch, Cosmos Computer Corporation,
CrystalVision, Quantum Magnetics, Apple, Objective Software, AZ Technology, Associated Venture Investors (AVI), and j.com.
Published documentation, such as books and manuals, comprises another significant portion of the collection. Examples of materials
include manuals and textbooks about programming and programs on the Apple Macintosh, programming in UNIX, and documentation
that accompanied hardware and software. There is also a box of material related to Forth, such as newsletters, manuals, and
FORML proceedings, as well as PEAC documentation. There are also resources for personnel relations and management, including
topics such as compensation guidelines, industry salary surveys, policy handbooks from other companies, and management and
hiring workbooks. A small amount of audiovisual materials, such as VHS tapes of product demos and shareholder meetings, are
scattered throughout.
Finally, about a quarter of the collection consists of software. There are approximately 600 3 ½ inch floppies and 120 5 ¼
inch floppies, most of which are commercial programs for Apple II, Mac, and IBM PC. In addition, there are several boxes of
packaged software.
Physical objects were separated from the main collection. To view catalog records for separated material, search the CHM catalog
at
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/ .
Jennings, Peter oral history, Lot X3093.2005, catalog number 102657922.
The collection is arranged into 4 series:
Series 1, VisiCorp corporate records, 1974-1984, bulk 1978-1984
Series 2, Gavilan and other companies, 1980-1997 bulk, 1980-1990
Series 3, Published materials, 1975-1996, bulk 1980-1989
Series 4, Software, 1978-2005, bulk 1984-1994
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Apple II (Computer)--Programming.
Computer chess.
KIM-1 (Computer)--Programming.
Microchess.
Visicorp