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Guide to the Fortran Standardization records
X7859.2017.X7860.2017.X7861.2017  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Processing Information
  • Access Restrictions
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Biographical/Historical Note
  • Scope and Content of the Collection
  • Arrangement

  • Title: Fortran Standardization records
    Identifier/Call Number: X7859.2017.X7860.2017.X7861.2017
    Contributing Institution: Computer History Museum
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 17.5 Linear feet 14 record cartons
    Date (bulk): Bulk, 1966-1999
    Date (inclusive): 1957-2015
    Abstract: The Fortran Standardization records are primarily made up of the documents used by groups creating and proposing standards for the Fortran computer programming language as used in the United States (ANSI) and internationally (ISO). This collection also includes Fortran publications such as a near-complete run of the newsletter Fortran Forum, and textbooks and other monographs about Fortran. These records are from Loren P. Meissner, Jeanne Martin, and Van Snyder.
    creator: Martin, Jeanne
    creator: Meissner, Loren P.
    creator: Snyder, W. Van

    Processing Information

    Collection processed by Pennington Ahlstrand, July 2020

    Access Restrictions

    The collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    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.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of Item], [Date], Fortran Standardization records, Lots [#], Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer History Museum.
    Note: For this collection, the lot number citation will either be X7859.2017, X7860.2017, or X7861.2017

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Gifts of Loren Meissner, Jeanne Martin, and Van Snyder, 2016.

    Biographical/Historical Note

    Fortran Standardization: By the early 1960s, many computer vendors had implemented a Fortran (from FORmula TRANSlation) compiler which included special features not found in the original IBM compiler. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) began a project of standardizing many aspects of data processing, including standardizing programming languages, so a committee was formed to develop a standard for Fortran. The first standard was adopted in 1966. The language continued to develop after 1966, along with general knowledge in the areas of programming, language design, and computer design. A new version-- Fortran 77-- was adopted in 1978 by ANSI. The International Standards Organization (ISO) began to mature in the computing language area and subsequently adopted Fortran 77 as an international standard. The next revision, Fortran 90, was an ISO standard first, and then adopted, word for word, as an ANSI standard. Fortran 95 is a minor revision to Fortran 90. Jeanne Martin was Convenor of ISO WG5 from 1982 until 1994, and she performed a leading role in the inclusion of International concerns during Fortran language development. Loren P. Meissner served for more than 20 years as a U.S. delegate to the international committee for Fortran language standardization. Meissner produced Fortran community newsletters from 1975 to 2015. Van Snyder has served as a delegate to and officer of the ANSI and ISO Fortran committees since 1997.

    Scope and Content of the Collection

    The Fortran Standardization records consist of meeting documents, agendas and minutes. Three collections have been aggregated together as Martin, Meissner and Snyder gave their collected materials to CHM to document the ANSI/ ISO standardization process for Fortran. Some material had originally been collected by Frank Engel and John Reid.

    Arrangement

    The collection is arranged into three series: Series 1, Loren P. Meissner papers, 1961-2015 Series 2, Jeane Martin papers, 1957-2003 Series 3, Van Snyder papers, 1978-1991
    This collection has been maintained in its original order. Unless otherwise noted, dates are inclusive.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    American National Standards Institute
    FORTRAN (Computer program language)
    International Organization for Standardization