Guide to the Gene M. Amdahl Papers
Sara Chabino Lott
Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, California 94043
Phone: (650) 810-1010
Email: research@computerhistory.org
URL: http://www.computerhistory.org
© 2007
Computer History Museum. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Gene M. Amdahl Papers
Collection number: X3242.2006
Computer History Museum
- Processed by:
- Sara Chabino Lott
- Date Completed:
- December 2007
- Encoded by:
- Sara Chabino Lott
© 2007 Computer History Museum. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Guide to the Gene M. Amdahl Papers
Dates: 1952-2001
Collection number: X3242.2006
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Collection Size:
1.88 linear feet
3 boxes
Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Museum's online catalog.
Repository:
Computer History Museum
Abstract: Gene M. Amdahl's papers include design drawings, correspondence, and research related to early Amdahl inventions, including
the WISC (Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer). The Amdahl papers primarily consist of clippings that feature Amdahl
or the Amdahl Corporation. The collection covers the period 1952 through 2001 and contains correspondence, newsletters, oral
history transcripts, programs, and a small number of photographs.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
The Computer History Museum can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any
claims of the copyright holder. Permission to copy or publish any portion of the Computer History Museum's collection must
be given by the Computer History Museum.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], [Date], Gene M. Amdahl Papers, Lot X3242.2006, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California.
Provenance
The Gene M. Amdahl papers were donated by Gene M. Amdahl to the Computer History Museum in 2006.
Biography / Administrative History
Computer designer, author, inventor and corporate executive, Gene M. Amdahl was born on November 16, 1922 in Flaundreau, South
Dakota. Amdahl married Marion D. Quissell, also from Flandreau, in 1946 and the two eventually had three children. Amdahl
served two years in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Amdahl received his B.S. in Engineering Physics from South Dakota State
University in 1948, and earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Wisconsin in 1952.
While beginning work on his doctorate, Amdahl designed the first overlapped, electronic floating-point computer. In his doctoral
thesis, he described how to build the computer he had designed. The construction of that computer took place over a period
of four years by students at the University of Wisconsin and is called the WISC (Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer).
In June of 1952 Amdahl joined International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in Poughkeepsie, New York. Amdahl initially
worked on character recognition and intelligence simulation. In 1953 he was made chief planner and project engineer for the
IBM 704 development program. Following that he did the initial planning of the IBM 709 and the IBM 7030. Amdahl left IBM at
the end of 1955.
In 1956 Amdahl joined Ramo Woolridge in Los Angeles, California where he prepared several military and internal proposals
in the data processing field. In addition, he did the system planning for what became the RW440 process control computer.
In late 1956 Amdahl joined Aeronutronic Systems Inc., a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company. There he headed the commercial
data processing department, which was responsible for electronic data entry and computer equipment.
Amdahl rejoined IBM in 1960, and during the period 1960-1970 was director of experimental machines, manager of systems design
for advanced data processing systems, manager of technology for high speed systems, director of IBM's Advanced Computing Systems
Laboratory in Menlo Park, CA, and principle architect of IBM's System 360 series of mainframe computers. Amdahl was named
an IBM Fellow in 1965.
Amdahl left IBM again in 1970 to form and operate his own company, Amdahl Corporation in Sunnyvale, CA, for the purpose of
developing, manufacturing and marketing large-scale computer systems. His plan was to compete head-to-head with IBM in the
mainframe market with what became the Amdahl 470 family of computers. In 1975, Amdahl Corporation shipped its first computer,
the Amdahl 470 V/6. On September 1, 1979 Amdahl resigned as Chairman of the Board of Amdahl Corporation and served as Chairman
Emeritus and a consultant to the company, until he retired in August 1980.
In the fall of 1980 Dr. Amdahl started another venture, Trilogy Systems Corporation, which acquired Elxsi in 1985 for its
principal computer system entry. In 1989, Amdahl stepped down as chairman of Elxsi to devote more time to other ventures.
In 1986, Amdahl participated in the founding of three companies of which he was Chairman. These companies were Modular Power,
American Industrial Group and Andor Systems International. However, by the mid-1990s all three companies were defunct.
In 1996, at the age of 74, Amdahl founded Commercial Data Servers (CDS) in his continuing quest to merge mainframe technologies
with the more popular PC technology. CDS changed its name to Xbridge Systems and narrowed its focus and by early 2005 Amdahl
was no longer a member of their management team.
In November 2004 Amdahl was appointed to the Board of Advisors of Massively Parallel Technologies.
Amdahl is holder and co-holder of many patents on such developments as recognition of recorded intelligence, analog-to-digital
conversion device, message display and transmission system, stored logic computer, large-scale shifter, memory protection
system, storage protection and the IBM System/360.
Scope and Content of Collection
Gene M. Amdahl's papers consist primarily of clippings that mention or feature either Amdahl or the Amdahl Corporation. There
is also material related to early inventions, correspondence, research papers, numerous oral history transcripts, programs
and a small number of photographs and design drawings.
- Series 1. Biographical Sketches (1991-1995)
- Series 2. Inventions (1952-1986)
- Series 3. Correspondence (1978-1992)
- Series 4. Printed Material (1952-2001)
- Series 5. Ephemera (1964-1995)
- Series 6. Photographs (circa 1970-circa 1990)
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Amdahl Corporation
Computer Industry--California--Santa Clara County--History
Computer Science--Biography
Separated Material
Serials that were separated from the collection because of duplication are:
Computer World Vol. XXVI No. 25, June 22, 1992
IBM Systems Journal Vol. 3, No. 2-3, 1964
Monographs that were separated from the collection because of duplication are:
Portraits of Success: Impressions of Silicon Valley Pioneers by Carolyn Caddes, 1986
Wizards and their Wonders: Portraits in Computing by Christopher Morgan, 1997
Portraits in Silicon by Robert Slater, 1987
The Legend of Amdahl by Jeffrey L. Rodengen, 2000
Physical objects were separated from the collection. There are 32 catalog records of various plaques, certificates, drawings,
and a small number of computer hardware pieces. To view catalog records for the physical objects go to the CHM website at
http://archive.computerhistory.org/search.
box 1
Biographical sketches
1991-1995
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .416 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
Biographical Sketches consists primarily of transcripts of oral histories conducted by Linda Runyan as part of her contract
with Amdahl to write an authorized biography of his life. Most of the interviews are with Amdahl or his wife Marion, but other
associates and relatives are included. There is also a transcript of a lengthy oral history conducted by the Center for the
History of Information Processing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and a copy of an unpublished biography of Amdahl.
One item of note is a list of all U.S. patents listing Amdahl as inventor between 1964 and 1991 in box 1, folder 1 026 8080
7. This series has been maintained in its original order.
102680807
Linda Runyon's background material for an Amdahl biography
1991
102680808
Gene Amdahl, Lars Brendsel, Wilbur Johnson, Arlene Amdahl Zeigler, Ollie Amdahl, Lowell
Amdahl, Marion Amdahl, Evelyn Amdahl Olsen, Alton Amdahl
1992
102680809
Gene Amdahl, Marion Amdahl, Lowell Amdahl
1991-1992
102680810
Gene Amdahl
1992-17-03
102680811
Gene Amdahl
1992-03
102680812
Gene Amdahl, Marion Amdahl, Arlene Amdahl Ziegler, Harold Hall
1991-1992
102680813
AA possibly Arlene Amadhal Zeigler
1992-05-08
102680814
Lavon Hall, Harold Hall, Lowell Amdahl, Marion Amdahl
1992
102680815
Marion Amdahl
1992-03-03
102680816
Evelyn Olson, Lowell Amdahl, Marion Amdahl
1992
102680817
Remarks of George Bragg delivered at the Computer & Communications Industry
Association's award dinner honoring Amdahl
circa 1989
102680818
Prairie Daydreamer: Gene M. Amdahl
1997-12-01
102680819
Gene Amdahl, Harold Hall
1991
102680820
Interview with Gene M. Amdahl
1986-04-16-1989-04-05
102680821
History of Orin Amdahl
1995-05-08
box 2
Inventions
1952-1986
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .209 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
Inventions is possibly the richest series in the collection. The bulk of the material is related to Amdahl's patent application
process for the Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer (WISC) (1952-1954). There is correspondence with the Wisconsin
Alumni Research Foundation that reveals Amdahl's feeling that the greatest potential for a computer involving his logic lay
in the field of business computation as well as his ideas for changes in the WISC that would make it more useful for business
purposes. There are also copies of amendments to the patent application and photostat drawings of WISC parts with hand annotated
corrections. Also in this series are Amdahl's doctoral thesis from the Dept. of Physics, University of Wisconsin, research
papers circa 1956, and original preliminary designs for the Amdahl 580 (1975). This series is arranged chronologically.
102680823
Doctoral thesis. Logical design of an intermediate speed digital computer
1952
102680824
Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer (WISC) patent application
process
1952-1954
102680825
While working for Aeronutronic Systems, Inc.
1956
102680826
Various computers
circa 1959
102680827
System/360 and the high performance model 92
circa 1964
102680828
Design beginning for Amdahl 580 OSLO
1975
102680829
Patent - module construction for semiconductor chip
1986-07-29
box 1
Correspondence
1978-1992
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .106 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
Series 3, Correspondence 1978-1992, primarily contains thank you letters from students attending South Dakota State University
who received Amdahl endowed scholarships. Interfiled with the thank you correspondence are copies of press releases issued
by SDSU announcing the recipients of Amdahl scholarships. There is a small amount of philanthropic correspondence between
Amdahl and organizations he donated money to in South Dakota and California, as well as Lutheran institutions. There is a
small amount of minor professional correspondence. One item of interest is a request from the Heinz Awards to Amdahl to evaluate
the merits of Frederick P. Brooks in regards to his nomination for a 1998 Heinz Award. Attached to the letter is a handwritten
draft of Amdahl's favorable response. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102680822
Philanthropic
1978-1988
102680831
Professional associates
1964-1999
102680832
Requests for personal papers
1986-1989
102680830
Thank yous
1992-1998
box 1, 3
Printed material
1952-2001
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .957 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
Printed material contains clippings and monographs related to Amdahl or the Amdahl Corporation. This series is organized in
2 subseries:
box 1
Printed: Clippings
circa 1952-2001
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .54 linear feet
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
Clippings contains articles which appeared in newspapers, journals, magazines, and newsletters. They are from popular and
scholarly publications and include English, French, and German language works. Amdahl kept entire issues of serials, however,
during processing complete issues were kept only if they were computer related non-duplicates or especially unique, otherwise
the single article was clipped. Included in this series are 3 Amdahl Corporation newsletters, Amdahl Update (1978, 1990, and
1999). This subseries is arranged chronologically.
102680833
circa 1952-1967
circa 1952-1967
102680835
IBM Systems Journal
1965-04
102680636
1970, 1973
1970-1973
102680637
1974-1975
1974-1975
102680638
1976-1977
1976-1977
102680644
1984-1985
1984-1985
box 3
Printed: Monographs
1973-1986
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .417 linear feet
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
Monographs contains books which feature or mention Amdahl or the Amdahl Corporation. This subseries is arranged alphabetically
by title.
102680858
A century of honors: the first one-hundred years of award winners, honorary members, past
presidents, and fellows of the institute
1984
102680856
Amdahl 470/6 system machine reference manual
1973
102680859
Fortune favors the brave: Fujitsu thirty years in computers
1986
102680862
Silicon Valley fever: growth of high-technology culture
1984
102680864
Thesis and essays commemorative of Dr. Toshio Ikeda
circa 1975
box 1
Ephemera
1964-1995
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .145 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
Ephemera primarily contains programs from ceremonies and award dinners that Amdahl either attended or was an honoree at. In
addition, there is a significant amount of material related to Amdahl's centennial alumnus award from South Dakota State University
as well as material related to Amdahl's professional visits to China as a guest lecturer. This series is arranged alphabetically
by folder title.
102680867
Ceremony programs
1964-1995
102680865
China seminars
1989-1991
102680868
Quadrato Della Radio membership
circa 1980
102680866
South Dakota State University Centennial Alumnus Award
1987
box 1
Photographs
circa 1970-circa 1990
Creator:
Amdahl, Gene M. (Gene Myron), 1922-
Physical Description: .023 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
Photographs includes 5 photographs that were found in the original box of monographs. There are two color photographs of unidentified
computer chips and three snapshots of Amdahl. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102680869
Computer chips
circa 1970-circa 1990
102680870
Gene M. Amdahl
circa 1970-circa 1990
