Researching your institution's computer past

ABSTRACT

The history of computing in educational institutions is relatively young, but quickly forgotten as computing students today have no concept of what it was like to use a computer back in the 1950-1990 time period. However, preserving one's own institution's computer past should be more than just a history lesson. It can be a way to connect present day students with their institution's own achievements and it can be a mechanism for recruiting young people into your institution. In any case telling the story of the people whose achievements may only be known by a few or even forgotten is something that needs to be preserved. This project spans both academic and administrative computing as well as the people involved including alumni, faculty, and staff. It is both an oral history and a documented history as it covers university events and the university's own internal use of computing. Presented in this paper are the methods of research used as well as ideas on how one might go about such a task at their institution. The final goals of this research are to produce a book with a companion website and host a computing history symposium. specific permission and/or a fee.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.2 HISTORY OF COMPUTING
      Subjects: People

General Terms:
Human Factors

Keywords:
history of computers, history of computing, oral history