Guide to the Richard B. Talmadge papers

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.

Collection surveyed by Sydney Gulbronson Olson, 2018.

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], Richard B. Talmadge papers, Lot X8404.2018, Box [#], Computer History Museum.

Gift of The Talmadge Family Trust, 2017.

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.

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.