Processing Information
Access Restrictions
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Biographical/Historical Note
Scope and Content of the Collection
Title: Richard B. Talmadge papers
Identifier/Call Number: X8404.2018
Contributing Institution:
Computer History Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
33.51 Linear feet,
24 record cartons and 3 flat boxes
Date (inclusive): 1953-1997
Abstract: The Richard B. Talmadge papers consist of manuals, technical reports, internal memos and documentation, daily activity logs,
and subject, personal, and project files relating to Talmadge's work at International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
The materials range in date from 1953 to 1997. About a quarter of the collection is made up of both published and internal
IBM manuals. The second quarter of the papers consists of internal materials from IBM, such as technical reports and reviews,
division operating plans, project outlines, course and workshop materials, internal memos, and handwritten notes. Examples
of subjects in this portion of the collection include the 7040/7090 DC System, the 7740 Data Control Package, and the 7095
Data Processing System. Another quarter of the papers are made up of subject, personal, and project files related to Talmadge's
work at IBM, including information on graphics and display research, the RTSX control program, and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory
(MOL) project. The final quarter of the collection consists of manuals, technical reports, meeting minutes, and notes from
companies and organizations other than IBM, such as Lockheed, Univac, and Remington Rand.
Processing Information
Collection surveyed by Sydney Gulbronson Olson, 2018.
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], Richard B. Talmadge papers, Lot X8404.2018, Box [#], Computer History Museum.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of The Talmadge Family Trust, 2017.
Biographical/Historical Note
Richard B. Talmadge was an engineer and research scientist who worked for International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
from 1958 to 1981. Talmadge earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from California Institute of Technology in 1948 and
a PhD in Mathematics from the same institution in 1951. From 1952 to 1953, he worked as a research engineer in applications
programming at Hughes Aircraft, focusing on mathematical problems in radar systems design. From 1953 to 1954, Talmadge worked
at Marquardt Aircraft Corporation, where he was a research scientist and manager of the computer group, called Test Systems.
Talmadge then spent three years with Lockheed Missile Systems Division as a manager of the systems programming department
and as a research scientist. A notable part of his work at Lockheed involved producing a complete operating system for the
Univac 1103A.
In 1958, Talmadge joined IBM, where he held a number of different positions and continued to work until 1981. From 1958 to
1966, he was a manager in the Applied Programming West department of the Data Systems Division and a Senior Programmer in
the Applied Programming organization. In Applied Programming, he worked on all systems software for all IBM computers, including
the 709/7090 commercial translator processor, the 709/7090/7094 input/output control system, and IBSYS/IBJOB, a new operating
system for the 7090/94. In 1966, he began working as the technical consultant to the Vice President of the Space Systems Center,
in the Federal Systems Division, which marketed to the Department of Defense. One project of note that Talmadge contributed
to was the design of a computer for a United States Air Force program called the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). From 1968
to 1974, Talmadge worked as a manager in the Advanced Systems department of the IBM United Kingdom Laboratories as well as
a senior staff member of the Programming Systems department in the Systems Development Division. He then became a manager
in the Future Controller Architecture project in the Systems Communication Division, and also held a senior staff role for
the Director of the Los Gatos laboratory of that division. In this role, Talmadge worked on the 3790 controller upgrade program
and a future controller program. In 1977, he moved to a position as a technical consultant in the Information Systems directorate
of the General Systems Division, a position that he held until 1981 when he left IBM. Talmadge worked on the Digital Data
Exchange (DDX) product during his final years with the company.
After leaving IBM, Talmadge became a consultant under the business name Computer Technology Ltd. He fully retired in 1997
and passed away in 2017.
Scope and Content of the Collection
The Richard B. Talmadge papers range in date from 1953 to 1997 and consist of manuals, technical reports, internal memos and
documentation, daily activity logs, and subject, personal, and project files relating to Talmadge's work at International
Business Machines Corporation (IBM). About a quarter of the collection is made up of IBM manuals ranging in date from 1953
to 1991, with the majority being published between 1960 and 1980. Most of these materials are published manuals, but there
are some internally distributed and confidential manuals, specifications, and development guides.
The second quarter of the papers consists of internal materials from IBM, such as technical reports and reviews, division
operating plans, project outlines, course and workshop materials, internal memos, and handwritten notes. The technical reports
come from several different IBM research laboratories and some are authored by Talmadge. Technical reviews included in this
portion of the collection include subjects such as the 7040/7090 DC System, the 7740 Data Control Package, and the 7095 Data
Processing System. There is also material from a 1973 Development Methodology Task Force as well as documentation on awards
evaluation methodology. There are also two boxes of Talmadge's daily activity diaries. Ranging in date from 1965 to 1997,
these activity logs chronicle his daily work at IBM as well as his work after leaving the company.
Another quarter of the papers are made up of subject, personal, and project files related to Talmadge's work at IBM during
the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Types of materials include memos, correspondence, project proposals, presentation materials,
company training materials, meeting minutes, and reports. Two boxes hold materials on graphics and displays research, including
materials from IBM's Displays Task Force and Displays Working Group, as well as technical reports on computer graphics and
35mm presentation slides. There are also memos, reports, and correspondence from the 1970s related to the RTSX control program.
Of particular note are two boxes of material on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) project, which Talmadge worked on between
1966 and 1968 while employed at the IBM Space Systems Center.
The final quarter of the collection consists of manuals, technical reports, meeting minutes, and notes from companies and
organizations other than IBM. A significant portion of these materials are from Talmadge's time at Lockheed, where he worked
on the Univac 1103A. Therefore, there are a number of Univac and Remington Rand manuals, as well as manuals from other companies
from that time, such as the National Cash Register Company, Philco, and SDS. Other materials from Lockheed include program
listings, reports, and meeting minutes. There are also materials from the 1967 Fall Joint Computer Conference and a small
amount of various manuals from the 1980s, for systems such as the Bluejay Project and Maestro by Softlab.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
International Business Machines Corporation.
Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program (U.S.).
Notebooks
Univac 1103A (Computer)