Herbert S. Bright Papers, 1924-1988. Finding Aid.

Summary Information

Title: Herbert S. Bright papers
Dates: 1924-1988
Creator: Bright, Herbert S. (Herbert Samuel), 1919-1986
Extent: 6 boxes (5.4 cubic feet)
Language: English
Collection Number: CBI 42
Abstract:

Collection contains correspondence, memoranda, technical reports and notes, subject files, minutes, manuals, photographs, audio tapes, videotapes, publications, presentations, and a deposition related to Herbert Bright's work in the computer industry and with computer professional groups. Records from Philco and COMPLAN include chronological files for brief periods. Also included in the collection are some personal papers and photographs that partially document the period from 1924-1956.

Repository: University of Minnesota Libraries. Charles Babbage Institute.

Access and Use

Acquisition Information:

The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Lee E. M. Bright in 1988 and 1989.

Access Restrictions:

Access to the collection is unrestricted.

Copyright:

The Charles Babbage Institute holds the copyright to all materials in the collection, except for items covered by a prior copyright (such as published materials). Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provisions of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Preferred Citation:

Herbert S. Bright Papers (CBI 42), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Arrangement

The materials in this collection are arranged into the following groups:

• Companies, 1956-1984
• Conferences, 1961-1980
• Herbert S. Bright Personal Papers, 1924-1988
• Herbert S. Bright Professional Papers, 1960-1982
• Professional and Trade Associations, 1958-1983
• Standards Organizations, 1960-1983

Biographical Note

Herbert Samuel Bright (13 September 1919 - 28 November 1986) earned a BS in Physics from the University of Michigan in 1943 and an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of California-Berkeley in 1963. After completing his BS, Bright became an electrical engineer working with radar and gunfire control systems at Western Electric. Three years later, he joined the electrical engineering department of the Antenna Laboratory at the University of California-Berkeley.

In the early 1950s, Bright began developing general purpose computer applications while chief of the laboratory instrumentation branch at the Radiological Defense Laboratory. As supervising scientist of the computational planning section at Westinghouse Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, he worked on FORTRAN applications for large scale engineering calculations. He continued his work with FORTRAN when he joined the Data Processing Group of CBEMA as director of engineering. Bright later served as Secretary of the ANSI-X3.4.3 FORTRAN Working Group from its inception in 1963 to the publication of American Standard FORTRAN in 1966. At Philco, Bright was responsible for the planning design, development, distribution and maintenance of all product-line software. This included a wide range of programs such as assemblers, compilers, operating systems, and generalized applications. While at Philco, Bright served as the chair of the Philco Corporate Technical Committee on Computer Aids to Engineering and Research, TAC-63-8, from its inception in 1963 to 1965. As director of programming at Informatics, Inc., Bright completed systems programming studies and development projects.

In 1966, Bright founded Computation Planning, Inc. (COMPLAN). This computation consulting firm focused on the analysis, design, programming and management of computation systems. Under Bright's management as president and technical director, COMPLAN concentrated its operations after 1975 on information security through cryptographic control. Bright co-invented a patented encryption system used by many major firms and government agencies for data security. His professional interest in encryption led to his active participation in the ANSI-X9.E9 Working Group on Financial Institution Cryptographic and Authentication Key Management.

Bright was also active in professional associations. In the Association for Computing Machinery, Bright served as Secretary (1962-1964), Vice-President (1964-1966), and Council Member at Large (1966-1978). He also served as the Technical Program Chairman for the 1964 ACM conference and as National Program Committee Chairman on several occasions. Bright served two terms on the AFIPS Board of Directors (1963-1965; 1972-1974), secretary and vice president of SHARE (IBM users' group), president of TUG (Philco users' group), and president (1970) and later member of the board of directors (1971), of the Association on Independent Software Companies.

Collection Scope and Content Note

The collection includes correspondence, memoranda, technical reports and notes, subject files, minutes, manuals, photographs, audio tapes, videotapes, publications, presentations, and a deposition related to Herbert Bright's work in the computer industry and with computer professional groups. Records from Philco and COMPLAN include chronological files for brief periods.

The Philco records also contain a series of subject files. The Informatics, Inc., records include technical notes, correspondence, and reports. The deposition was taken when Bright was an expert witness for the Burroughs Corporation in the legal action of South Jersey Wallpaper Co. vs. Burroughs Corporation. The records from the standards organizations--the American National Standards Institute (formerly the U.S.A. Standards Institute and before that the American Standards Association) and the International Standards Organization--contain committee minutes, correspondence, reports, and working papers. Also included in the collection are some personal papers and photographs that partially document the period from 1924-1956.

Related Material

• Jerome Garfunkel Papers (CBI 71)
• Robert Kalb Papers (CBI 4)
• Honeywell X3.2 Standards Subcommittee Records (CBI 67)

• American Federation of Information Processing Societies Records (CBI 44)
• Association for Computing Machinery: Los Angeles Chapter Records (CBI 35)
• Isaac L. Auerbach Papers (CBI 52)
• Bruce Gilchrist Papers (CBI 76)
• George Glaser Papers (CBI 23)
• Carl Hammer Papers (CBI 3)
• Claude A. R. Kagan Papers (CBI 16)
• Daniel D. McCracken Papers (CBI 43)
• Alan J. Perlis Papers (CBI 64)

• SHARE, Inc. Records (CBI 21)
• Francis Wagner Papers (CBI 6)
• Joan Winters Papers (CBI 22)

Subject Terms

Index Terms

• This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
• Bright, Herbert S. (Herbert Samuel), 1919-1986
• American Federation of Information Processing Societies.
• Electronic Funds Transfer Committee.
• American National Standards Institute.
• Association for Computing Machinery.
• Association of Independent Software Companies.
• Burroughs Corporation.
• Computation Planning, Inc.
• Informatics, Inc.
• International Organization for Standardization.
• Office Equipment Manufacturers Institute (U.S.). Data Processing Group.
• Philco Corporation. Computer and Electronics Division.
• SHARE.
• United States of America Standards Institute.
• Westinghouse Research Laboratories.
• APT (Computer program language)--Standards.
• COBOL (Computer program language)--Standards.
• Computer industry.
• Computer software industry.
• Computer user groups.
• Cryptography--Data processing.
• Cryptography--United States--Standards.
• FORTRAN (Computer program language)--Standards.
• Programming languages (Electronic computers)--Standards.

Box and Folder List

Location		Title
		Companies, 1956-1984  Note The companies series includes records from Bright's firm, COMPLAN, as well as Informatics, Inc., Philco Corporation's Computer and Electronics Division, and Westinghouse-Bettis's Computation Planning Section. The records from the various firms contain chronological files, correspondence related to computer programming and various professional associations, advertisements, technical notes on computer programs, and reports on programming languages and computer systems. The Philco Corporation subseries contains a file series about programming consultants which includes descriptions of translator programs for Philco computers. Also included in this series is Bright's deposition as an expert witness for the Burroughs Corporation in a lawsuit brought by South Jersey Wallpaper Co.
		Burroughs Corporation, 1980-1981
Box 1		South Jersey Wallpaper Co. v. Burroughs Corporation Herbert S. Bright Deposition, 1980-1981. Box 1, Folder 1-2
		COMPLAN, 1968-1984
Box 1		Advertisements, circa 1977. Box 1 , Folder 3
Box 1		Encryption Algorithms, 1984. Box 1, Folder 4
		Miscellaneous Correspondence and Documents, 1966-1982. Box 1, Folder 5
		Office Chronological File, Reports, 1970-1973.  Box 1, Folder 6-14
		BEEF 2/70 Language Extension System, [bound], 1969  Box 1, Folder 6-14
		BEEF 2/360 Language Extension System, [bound], 1969  Box 1, Folder 6-14
Box 1		BRICS and ERIC System Analytical Services, [bound], 1968  Box 1 , Folder 6-14
Box 1		Functional Analysis and Preliminary Specifications for a Single Integrated Central Computer System for Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges, [bound], 1968  Box 1, Folder 6-14
		Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory: Analyses to Support Planning Decisions for Proposed Computer Utility for Educational Systems (CUES), 1969. Box 1, Folder 15
		Social Security Administration: Computer Facility Design, 1974-1975. Box 1, Folder 16
		Informatics, Inc., 1962-1966
Box 1		ECP-1 Tech Notes (Rome Air Development Center project), 1963-1964. Box 1, Folder 17-18
		ECP-2 Operational Notes (Rome Air Development Center project), 1964-1965. Box 1, Folder 19
		ECP-2 Tech Notes (Rome Air Development Center project), 1964-1965. Box 1, Folder 20-21
		Miscellaneous correspondence, reports and publications, 1965-1966. Box 2, Folder 1
		Newsletter article, 1966. Box 2, Folder 2
		Translator Study Proposal, 1962. Box 2, Folder 3
		Philco Corporation: Computer and Electronics Division, 1961-1967
Box 2		3100 subroutines and service routines, 1965. Box 2, Folder 4
		Chronological File:
Box 2		1961-1962. Box 2, Folder 5-6
		1963. Box 2, Folder 7-8
		1964-1965. Box 2, Folder 9
		Computer Division Five Year Plan, 1961. Box 2, Folder 10
		Competitors Information, 1962-1965. Box 2, Folder 11
		Correspondence, 1964. Box 2, Folder 12
		Evaluation of Control Data's competitiveness, 1962. Box 2, Folder 13
		Ford/Philco Symposium on Computer Aids to Engineering and Manufacturing, 1965. Box 2, Folder 14
		"Kinslow Map:" Time Sharing Monitor System, 1964. Box 2, Folder 15
		L.R. Lavine Presentation at Air Force Symposium, 1963. Box 2, Folder 16
		McGraw Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology, 1961-1963. Box 2, Folder 17
		Miscellaneous correspondence and documents, 1962-1963. Box 2, Folder 18
		Miscellaneous correspondence and documents, 1962-1967. Box 2, Folder 19
		Miscellaneous Reports, 1961-1962. Box 2, Folder 20
		Patent disclosures, 1964. Box 2, Folder 21
		Philco Houston Operations-NASA consultation, 1965. Box 2, Folder 22
		Programming Consultants File:
Box 2		Advanced Information Systems, Inc., 1963. Box 2, Folder 23
		Applied Data Research, Inc., 1962-1963. Box 2, Folder 24
		Applied Data Research, Inc. Philco 2000/IBM 705 Simulator, 1961. Box 2, Folder 25
		Automation Services, 1965. Box 2, Folder 26
		C-E-I-R, Inc., 1963. Box 2, Folder 27
		Computer Applications, Inc., 1963-1964. Box 2, Folder 28
		Computer Sciences Corporation, 1962-1964. Box 2, Folder 29
		Computer Sciences Corporation COBOL, 1961-1963. Box 2, Folder 30
		Computer Sciences Corporation FORTRAN, 1961-1964. Box 2, Folder 31
		Computer Usage Company, Inc., 1962-1964. Box 2, Folder 32
		Computer Usage Company, Inc. Philco 2000 Translator, 1962. Box 2, Folder 33
		Digitek, 1963-1964. Box 2, Folder 34
Box 3		Informatics, Inc., 1962-1965. Box 3, Folder 1
		Keystone Computer Associates, 1965. Box 3, Folder 2
		Mesa Scientific Corporation, 1964-1965. Box 3, Folder 3
		Miscellaneous Consultants, 1962-1963. Box 3, Folder 4
		National Computer Analysts, 1963. Box 3, Folder 5
		Programmatics, Inc., 1963. Box 3, Folder 6
		Systems Programming Corporation, 1963. Box 3, Folder 7
		Wolf Research and Development Corporation, 1963. Box 3, Folder 8
		Project MAC at Philco, 1963-1964. Box 3, Folder 9
		Project Sketchpad, 1963-1964. Box 3, Folder 10
		Public relations, 1962-1965. Box 3, Folder 11
		SGRAFFTI, 1963. Box 3, Folder 12
		Simulators
Box 3		General System Simulator (Ford), 1964. Box 3, Folder 13
		Miscellaneous, 1964-1965. Box 3, Folder 14
		SIMSCRIPT, 1964-1965. Box 3, Folder 15
		Switching System, 1963. Box 3, Folder 16
		TAC 63-8 (Technical Area Coordination), 1963-1965. Box 3, Folder 17
		Tutorial Seminar on Computer Applications, 1962. Box 3, Folder 18
		Westinghouse-Bettis: Computation Planning Section, 1958-1961
Box 3		Chronological File, 1956-1960. Box 3, Folder 19-23
		Miscellaneous Correspondence and Reports, 1960-1961. Box 3, Folder 24
		TRANSAC, 1958. Box 3, Folder 25
		Conferences, 1961-1980  Note The conferences series consists of records created when Bright assisted in planning conferences, papers which Bright gave at conferences, and material from conferences that Bright attended. The related series, Recordings, contains session recordings of some conference sessions in which Bright participated.
Box 3		Conference on Federal Government Policies for the Control of Private Sector Cryptographic Research, 1980. Box 3, Folder 26-27
		Fall Joint Computer Conference 1962
Box 3		Bright/Cheydleur Paper, 1962. Box 3, Folder 28
		Special Events committee, 1962-1963. Box 3, Folder 29
		Waltz/Jackson presentation: Papers and background material, 1961-1962. Box 3, Folder 30
		Fall Joint Computer Conference, 1964
Box 3		Bright/Timlin Paper, 1964-1965. Box 3, Folder 31
		Information System Sciences: Second Congress
		Papers, [bound], 1964.
Box 3		Participant Directory, Program, Notes, 1964. Box 3, Folder 32
		National Computer Conference, 1976. Box 3, Folder 33
		National Science Seminar, 1963. Box 3, Folder 34
		RAND Computing Symposium, 1961-1964. Box 3, Folder 35
		SHARE XV, 1960. Box 3, Folder 36
		Herbert S. Bright Personal Papers, 1924-1988  Note The personal papers series contains biographical data, personal papers, photographs of Bright, air-burst nuclear testing information, copies of Bright's degrees and awards, and a copy of Bright's Master's thesis, A Study of Torque-Balance Servomultiplication.
Box 3		Air-burst testing of nuclear devices, 1978-1981. Box 3, Folder 37
		Awards and degrees, 1937-1980. Box 3, Folder 38
		Biographical information, 1945-1988. Box 3, Folder 39
		Personal papers, 1939-1962. Box 3, Folder 40
Box 4		Photographs, 1924-1954. Box 4, Folder 1
		A Study of Torque-Balance Servomultiplication, 1963. Box 4, Folder 2
Box 6		"Memorial to the Life to Herb Bright," moderated by Lee E.M. Bright and featuring short speeches by friends and business associates, 1987.  Box 6 Note Circa 60 minutes on VHS cassette; sound and image quality both poor.
		Herbert S. Bright Professional Papers, 1960-1982  Note The professional papers series contains a paper on computer user groups and compilations of reviews and articles created by Bright. Other articles and reviews can be found in the Professional and Trade Associations series.
Box 4		Articles by Herbert S. Bright, 1972, undated. Box 4, Folder 3
		"Computer User Groups," 1960. Box 4, Folder 4
		Herbert S. Bright reviews, 1975-1982. Box 4, Folder 5
		Professional and Trade Associations, 1958-1983  Note The professional and trade associations series includes records of the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS); the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM); the Association of Independent Software Companies; the Data Transmission Study Group;, the International Association for Cryptologic Research; and the Data Processing Group of the Office Equipment Manufacturers Institute. The records consist of correspondence and chronological files, session papers, reports, newsletters, publications, committee working papers, correspondence and reports.
		American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS), 1975-1976
Box 4		Electronic Funds Transfer Committee, 1975-1976. Box 4, Folder 6-7
		Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 1959-1984
		ACM 64
Box 4		Chronological Files, 1964. Box 4, Folder 8-9
		"Critique of a Problem Set for Instruction in Digital Computer Programming," 1964. Box 4, Folder 10
		"Lists and Why They Are Useful," 1964. Box 4, Folder 11
		Press Kit, 1964. Box 4, Folder 12
		Program Committee, 1963-1964. Box 4, Folder 13
		Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Speech, 1963-1964. Box 4, Folder 14
		Annual Report, 1960. Box 4, Folder 15
		Committee on computers and public policy, 1980. Box 4, Folder 16
		Computing Surveys Reviewing, 1980-1982. Box 4, Folder 17
		Council Meeting material, 1961. Box 4, Folder 18
		Data-Link (newsletter of the Los Angeles chapter), 1961-1964. Box 4, Folder 19
		Distinguished Service Award, 1978-1981. Box 4, Folder 20
		Elections, 1966-1982. Box 4, Folder 21
		Guidelines for ACM SIG/SIC and Regional Conferences, 1976. Box 4, Folder 22
		IFIP/ICC Vocabulary of Terms Used in Information Processing, 1964. Box 4, Folder 23
		Miscellaneous, 1959-1983. Box 4, Folder 24
		"Pathways to System Integrity," 1980. Box 4, Folder 25
		Revised ACM Constitution, undated. Box 4, Folder 26
Box 5		SIGCAPH, 1974-1975. Box 5, Folder 27
Box 4		SIGPAC ACM paper, 1968-1969. Box 4, Folder 28
		Subject Headings Subcommittee of the Informal Joint ACM-AIEE-IRE Computer Terminology Committee Report, 1960. Box 4, Folder 29
		Report background materials, 1960-1961. Box 4, Folder 30
		Washington chapter, 1961-1984. Box 4, Folder 31
Box 6		ACM '74, Forum on Computers and Public Policy (sponsored by SIGCAPH) featuring Paul Armer, Herbert S. Bright, Daniel D. McCracken, and others, 1974.  Box 6 Note Cassette: Bright's speech, "Liability Professionalism" begins side B of cassette.
		Association of Independent Software Companies, 1969-1972
Box 4		Association of Independent Software Companies, 1969. Box 4, Folder 32
		National Bureau of Standards, 1972. Box 4, Folder 33
		Software and Liability, 1969-1971. Box 4, Folder 34
		Data Transmission Study Group, 1961
Box 4		Data Transmission Study Group, 1961. Box 4, Folder 35
		Eastern Joint Computer Conference, 1961
Box 6		Eastern Joint Computer Conference recording of session on common programming languages moderated by Herbert S. Bright, 12-13 August 1961.  Box 6 Note Session participants include Alan J. Perlis, C.A. Phillips, R.E. Utman, and a Mr. Clippinger. 2 reel to reel tapes (second tape contains last five minutes of question and answer session).
		International Association for Cryptologic Research, 1983
Box 4		International Association for Cryptologic Research, 1983. Box 4, Folder 36
		Office Equipment Manufacturers Institute: Data Processing Group
Box 4		Correspondence and Reports, 1960-1961. Box 4, Folder 37
		Correspondence to Herbert S. Bright, 1961. Box 4, Folder 38
		SHARE, 1958-1960
Box 4		SHARE, 1958-1960. Box 4, Folder 39
		Standards Organizations, 1960-1983  Note The standards organizations series includes records from standards groups in the United States and international organizations. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) began as the American Standards Association (ASA) which became the United States of America Standards Institute (USASI) in 1966 before changing its name to ANSI in 1969. Aside from the ASA publication on sectional committees and the X3 Facts Book, the records consist of correspondence, reports, working papers and minutes of the various operational divisions of ANSI responsible for creating voluntary standards for the computing and data processing industry. This series also includes some minutes from TC 97, the corresponding committee of the International Standards Organization.
		American Standards Association (ASA) / United States of America Standards Institute (USASI) / American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 1960-1983
Box 5		The Organization and Work of Sectional Committees operating under the constitution, by-laws and procedure of the ASA, 6th ed., 1960. Box 5, Folder 1
		SPARC/ENCR (Standards Planning and Requirements Committee/Encryption), 1979-1982. Box 5, Folder 2
		X3 (Computers and Data Processing)
Box 5		Correspondence, 1961. Box 5, Folder 3
		Facts Book, 1968. Box 5, Folder 4
		X3i, 1968. Box 5, Folder 5
		X3J3 (FORTRAN Standards Committee), 1970-1981. Box 5, Folder 6-7
		X9E9 (Cryptographic Authentication), 1983. Box 5, Folder 8
		X3.2 (Codes and Input/Output Working Group), 1961-1970. Box 5, Folder 9
		X3.3 (Data Communication Working Group), 1961. Box 5, Folder 10
		X3.3.3 (Data Communication Working Group, Task Group 3), 1968. Box 5, Folder 11
		X3.3.4 (ASCII Task Group), 1962-1965. Box 5, Folder 12
		X3.4 (Common Programming Languages), 1965-1969. Box 5, Folder 13-14
		X3.4.1 (Language theory Working Group), 1963. Box 5, Folder 15
		X3.4.2 (Language Specifications Working Group), 1968. Box 5, Folder 16
		X3.4.3 (FORTRAN Working Group), 1962-1969. Box 5, Folder 17-29
		X3.4.4 (COBOL Working Group), 1965-1968. Box 6, Folder 2-3
		X3.4.4.4 (COBOL Working Group, Task Group 4), 1968. Box 6, Folder 4
		X3.4.7 (APT Standards Working Group), 1968. Box 6, Folder 5
		International Standards Organization (ISO), 1961
Box 6		TC 97 (Digital Computers and Data Processing Machinery), 1961. Box 6, Folder 6