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American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) Records, 1960-1990. Finding Aid.

Summary Information
Title: American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) records
Dates: 1960-1990
Creator: American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS)
Extent: 17 boxes (10.7 cubic feet)
Language: English
Collection Number: CBI 44
Abstract:
The American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) records document the organization’s administration and activities, and the AFIPS-sponsored Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences (later the National Computer Conference). The records include budget and financial information, reports, board and committee minutes, conference materials, and publications.

Repository: University of Minnesota Libraries. Charles Babbage Institute

Access and Use
Acquisition Information:

The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by the American Federation of Information Processing Societies in 1988, by Eddie M. Ashmore in 1991, by Howard Funk in 1991, and by Walter L. Anderson in 2002.

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:

American Federation of Information Processing Societies Records (CBI 44), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.


Arrangement

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

  • Administration, 1960-1988
  • Board of Directors Minutes, 1964-1989
  • Committee Files, 1964-1990
  • Conference Board Minutes, 1969-1986
  • Conferences, 1969-1988
  • IFIP Records, 1962-1989
  • Publications, 1962-1986

Most materials are alphabetical within, with the exception of board of directors and conference board minutes, which are arranged chronologically.


Historical Note

The American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) was established on May 10, 1961, to advance and disseminate knowledge in the field of information science and to represent member societies on an international level in the newly formed International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). The three founding societies of AFIPS were the Association for Computing Machinery, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and the Institute of Radio Engineers (the latter two eventually merged into the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers).

AFIPS was managed by a board of directors, originally called the "Governing Board." Each member society had one to three directors on the board depending on the size of the society; each affiliated member had one director. Under this board were various committees including the executive committee, the education committee, the finance committee, and the awards committee.

AFIPS was an outgrowth of the National Joint Computer Committee, which was established in 1951 and sponsored the Eastern and Western Joint Computer Conferences (EJCC, WJCC). AFIPS took over major sponsorship of the semi-annual conferences beginning in 1962, and renamed them the Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences (SJCC, FJCC). The conferences were merged into one annual conference and renamed the National Computer Conference (NCC) in 1973. A conference board set the overall direction and policies of the conferences, coordinated the actions of the Conference Steering Committee and the National Computer Conference Committee, and referred problems to appropriate committees such as the finance and executive committees of AFIPS. The conferences featured technical sessions and exhibits relating to the field of information processing. The National Computer Conference was discontinued after 1987.

AFIPS also supported smaller conferences and workshops such as the Office Automation Conference (OAC), produced publications including the Annals of the History of Computing, and presented the annual Harry Goode Memorial Award to individuals of outstanding achievement in information processing.

AFIPS was dissolved in 1990. The IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) continued the Goode Award, and took over publication of Annals (renamed the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing ). The IEEE-CS also joined the ACM to form the Federation on Computing in the United States (FOCUS) in 1991, to take the place of AFIPS as the United States’ representative in IFIP. In 1999, IFIP accepted separate membership for both IEEE-CS and ACM, and FOCUS was dissolved.

Sources:

  • Annals of the History of Computing . 8: 3 (July 1986). Special Issue: AFIPS, 1961-1986, 25th Anniversary.
  • Ralston, Anthony, ed., Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Engineering , New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1983, pp. 60-61.


Collection Scope and Content Note

The American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS) records document the organization’s administration and activities, and the AFIPS-sponsored Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences (later the National Computer Conference). The records include budget and financial information, reports, board and committee minutes, conference materials, and publications. A few brochures, minutes and conference materials on the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) are also included.

Researchers should note that these materials include official AFIPS records as well as materials from the personal papers of several organization presidents: Walter Anderson (1972-1973), Eddie Ashmore (1987), and Howard Funk (1988-1990). For example, the majority of “Board of Directors Minutes” files include only the official minutes of the board and attachments, but some files also include notes, correspondence, and other materials gathered by Walter Anderson in his capacity as AFIPS president.

Acronyms used in this finding aid:
  • CSC = Conference Steering Committee
  • EJCC = Eastern Joint Computer Conference
  • FJCC = Fall Joint Computer Conference
  • HQ = AFIPS headquarters
  • IAP = Industry Advisory Panel
  • IFIP = International Federation of Information Processing
  • NCC = National Computing Conference
  • OAC = Office Automation Conference
  • SJCC = Spring Joint Computer Conference
  • WJCC = Western Joint Computer Conference


Related Material

  • Aaron Finerman Papers (CBI 99)
  • Claude A.R. Kagan Papers (CBI 18)
  • George Glaser Papers (CBI 23)
  • Walter L. Anderson Papers (CBI 28)

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.
  • Anderson, Walter L. (Walter Leonard) 1922-
  • Asmus, H. G.
  • Gilchrist, Bruce
  • Tanaka, Richard I.
  • Joint Computer Conference.
  • National Computer Conference
  • American Federation of Information Processing Societies
  • Computer industry -- Awards
  • Computer industry -- Societies, etc.
  • Electronic data processing -- Awards
  • Electronic data processing -- Societies, etc.
Box and Folder List
 Location  Title
 
Administration , 1960-1988 
Note Contains organizational manuals, correspondence, budget and financial materials, legal documents, news releases, reports, and activity logs documenting AFIPS’ internal operations. Records documenting the curtailment of the organization’s activities due to financial difficulties in 1987, such as the reports of executive director John Gilbert, are included. Also included is a chronological set of “President’s Files” from Walter L. Anderson’s tenure as the organization’s president, 1972-1973, which provide good documentation of the background and reasons for the transition from the semi-annual Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences to the annual National Computer Conference.
 
AFIPS 25th Anniversary  
Box 15
Anniversary materials, 1986 Box 15, Folder 22
 
Annals of the History of Computing Special Issue, Vol. 8 no. 3, July 1986 and related materials  Box 15, Folder 19-21
 
AFIPS/Smithsonian History Project, May 1, 1971 Box 15, Folder 23
Box 17
AFIPS/Time Study, 1971 Box 17, Folder 21
Box 9
AFIPS Board Policy Books, January 19, 1985 Box 9, Folder 10-11
 
AFIPS Policy Notebook, September 23, 1987 Box 9, Folder 8-9
 
Ballots on NCC Dissolution and Budget, 1987-1988 Box 9, Folder 13
 
Budget materials  
Box 14
Budget materials, 1973-1974 Box 14, Folder 1
Box 9
Budget materials, 1982 and 1987 Box 9, Folder 16
Box 13
Constitution and By-Laws, 1960, 1970-1972 Box 13, Folder 2
 
Correspondence  
Box 10
Correspondence, February 1987 - December 1987 Box 10, Folder 7-8
Box 9, 10
Correspondence, 1988 Box 9, 10, Folder 12, 16-17
Box 17
Correspondence with ACM, 1972 Box 17, Folder 23
Box 9
Employee Handbook, May 1985 Box 9, Folder 18
 
Financial materials  
Box 9
Audit and Taxes, 1987 Box 9, Folder 15
 
Financial Reports  
Box 14
Financial Reports, 1968-1969, 1972-1973 Box 14, Folder 2-3
Box 17
Financial Reports, 1970-1971 Box 17, Folder 16
Box 10
Financial Reports, 1987 Box 10, Folder 26-27
 
Financial Reports, 1988 Box 14, Folder 10
 
Financial Statements  
Box 17
Financial Statements, 1985 Box 17, Folder 29
Box 10
Financial Statements, 1986 Box 10, Folder 25
 
Pending Financial Liabilities, 1987 Box 10, Folder 24
 
Gilbert, John  
Box 10
Logs, 1987 Box 10, Folder 13
 
Reports, 1987 Box 10, Folder 4
 
Headquarters File: Legal & Insurance, Director's Log, and Personnel, 1987-1988 Box 10, Folder 9-10
 
Headquarters Standdown File, 1987 Box 10, Folder 22-23
Box 14
Industry Advisory Panel (IAP), 1972-1973 Box 14, Folder 8
Box 9
Meeting Notes (Eddie Ashmore), 1987-1988 Box 9, Folder 20
Box 11
Newcomer's Guide, 1984 Box 11, Folder 13
 
News Releases  
Box 14
News Releases, 1971-1974 Box 14, Folder 9
Box 17
News Releases, 1980-1981 Box 17, Folder 7
 
Office Space leased by AFIPS, 1988 Box 9, Folder 17
 
Presidential Appointments, 1988 Box 9, Folder 23
Box 16
President’s Files (Walter L. Anderson), January 1972, March 1972 - August 1973  Box 16, Folder 2-15
Box 17
President’s Files (Walter L. Anderson), January 1972, March 1972 - August 1973  Box 17, Folder 12-14, 17
Box 9
President's Letters to the Board (Eddie Ashmore), 1987-1988 Box 9, Folder 21
Box 10
Projects, 1987-1988 Box 10, Folder 5-6
Box 9
Reports, 1988 Box 9, Folder 16
 
Volunteers' Guide, 1985-1986 Box 9, Folder 19
Box 10
World Congress on Computing Litigation, 1987-1988 Box 10, Folder 14
 
Board of Directors Minutes , 1964-1989  
Note Includes minutes, exhibits, and reports of the governing board, later called the board of directors. The board delegated authority to various committees, appointed committee chairmen, made overall policy decisions, and had final authority in any action taken by AFIPS. Also included are minutes of the 1966, 1967, and 1968 meetings of the "Federation," which seems to have been a member society group that seconded the actions of the board.
Box 1
Minutes, October 26, 1964 - February 23, 1983  Box 1, Folder 1-7
Box 12
Minutes, October 26, 1964 - February 23, 1983  Box 12, Folder 1-6
Box 17
Minutes, October 26, 1964 - February 23, 1983  Box 17, Folder 22
Box 2
Minutes, May 21, 1983 - November 30, 1984  Box 2, Folder 1
Box 9
Minutes, March 8, 1985 - August 27, 1989  Box 9, Folder 1-2
Box 16
Minutes, March 8, 1985 - August 27, 1989  Box 16, Folder 22-23
 
Committee Files, 1964-1990  
Note Committee files include correspondence, reports, agendas, minutes and exhibits from AFIPS Board committees, including the education committee, the finance committee, and the awards committee. The executive committee approved expenditures, negotiated on behalf of the board of directors, recommended appointments of committee chairs, and carried out other actions of the board; its activities are especially well documented, with materials covering 1964-1990.
Also included in the committee files are minutes, exhibits, and reports of subcommittees for the National Computer Conference Committee, a conference board committee responsible for the day-to-day planning and operation of AFIPS conferences. These materials contain detailed plans of each conference, such as information about proposed agendas, resolution of problems with exhibit space, arrangements for speakers, and other day-to-day items. Additional conference planning materials can be found with the “Conferences” materials and in the “Conference Board Minutes.”
Box 15
Awards Sub-Committee, 1973-1986 Box 15, Folder 26-27
Box 16
Education Committee, 1972-1974 Box 16, Folder 1
 
Executive Committee  
Box 2
Minutes, April 19, 1964 - June 14, 1973  Box 2, Folder 208
Box 12
Minutes, April 19, 1964 - June 14, 1973  Box 12, Folder 7-15
Box 17
Minutes, April 19, 1964 - June 14, 1973  Box 17, Folder 21
Box 3
Minutes, October 15, 1973 - December 3, 1981 Box 3, Folder 108
Box 4
Minutes, January 25, 1982 - November 29, 1984; February 6, 1985 - March 17, 1990; August 5, 1990 - October 13, 1990  Box 4, Folder 1-3
Box 9
Minutes, January 25, 1982 - November 29, 1984; February 6, 1985 - March 17, 1990; August 5, 1990 - October 13, 1990  Box 9, Folder 3-5
Box 16
Minutes, January 25, 1982 - November 29, 1984; February 6, 1985 - March 17, 1990; August 5, 1990 - October 13, 1990  Box 16, Folder 21
Box 9
Federation Operating Committee Reports, 1987 Box 9, Folder 22
Box 15
Finance Committee, 1967-1971 Box 15, Folder 24
 
National Computer Conference Committee  
Box 6
Minutes, December 15, 1978 - February 18, 1984 Box 6, Folder 1-6
Box 7
Minutes, April 30, 1984 - July 14-15, 1985  Box 7, Folder 1-6
Box 8
Minutes, October 24, 1985 - March 22, 1986  Box 8, Folder 1-2
Box 9
Minutes, December 6, 1986 - September 20, 1987  Box 9, Folder 6
Box 17
Search and Select Committee, 1972-1973 Box 17, Folder 5
 
Steering Committee, 1972 Box 17, Folder 26
Box 15
System Improvement Committee, 1971-1972 Box 15, Folder 25
Box 17
Verticality Task Force, 1971-1972 Box 17, Folder 11
 
Conference Board Minutes, 1969-1986  
Note Includes minutes from the Joint Computer Conference Board (JCCB); its successor, the National Computer Conference Board (NCCB); and the AFIPS Conference Board (ACB). On October 16, 1973 the JCCB, which was responsible for coordination of the Spring and Fall Joint Computer Conferences, became the NCCB when it decided to change its meeting format to an annual National Computer Conference. On March 3, 1980, the NCCB approved the creation of an AFIPS Conference Board to oversee all conference activities not directly part of the National Computer Conference. The ACB met in the afternoon following NCCB meetings and kept separate minutes until August 1982. For the next two years the ACB and NCCB held joint meetings. In 1985 the two boards again separated and each produced their own minutes.
Box 4
Minutes, March 19, 1969 - September 28, 1978 Box 4, Folder 4-8
Box 12
Minutes, March 19, 1969 - September 28, 1978 Box 12, Folder 15-16
Box 13
Minutes, March 19, 1969 - September 28, 1978 Box 13, Folder 1-4
Box 17
Minutes, March 19, 1969 - September 28, 1978 Box 17, Folder 1-2, 20
Box 5
Minutes, November 30, 1978 - October 20, 1986 Box 5, Folder 1-7
 
Conferences, 1969-1988  
Note Consists of conference programs and guides, brochures, planning files, reports, newspaper clippings, and publications. This series also includes brochures from the 1961 Western and Eastern Joint Computer Conferences, audience surveys, Joint Computer Conference and National Computer Conference guidelines manuals, and documentation of the dismantling of the National Computer Conference in 1987-1988.
Box 14
“AFIPS Educational Kits Workshop,” May 20-23, 1971  Box 14, Folder 21
Box 15
“AFIPS Workshop on the Influence of Programming Languages on Computer Systems Literature,” April 30-May 2, 1971  Box 15, Folder 1
Box 14
“AFIPS Workshop on Structure and Activities,” March 5-6, 1973 Box 14, Folder 24-25
Box 17
“AFIPS Workshop on System Improvement,” October 12-13, 1971 Box 17, Folder 3
Box 14
“Digital Systems Viewed as Communications Media,” October 14-17, 1971 Box 14, Folder 23
 
“AFIPS Workshop Summary Meeting, Part 1: FJCC Plans,” May 19-20, 1972  Box 14, Folder 22
 
Audience Surveys  
Box 14
1968 Fall Joint Computer Conference, 1969 Box 14, Folder 14
 
1971 Fall Joint Computer Conference, 1971 Box 14, Folder 12
 
1971 Spring Joint Computer Conference, 1971 Box 14, Folder 11
 
1972 Fall Joint Computer Conference, 1973 Box 14, Folder 15
 
1973 National Computer Conference, 1973 Box 14, Folder 13
 
1979 National Computer Conference, 1979 Box 14, Folder 16
 
Conference programs, guides and brochures  
Box 11
Office Automation Conference (OAC) brochures, 1980-1981 Box 11, Folder 8
Box 15
NCC programs, exhibit guides, and brochures, 1973-1987 Box 15, Folder 3-17
Box 17
FJCC Attendance Promotion Brochures, 1972 Box 17, Folder 4
Box 13
FJCC and SJCC programs and brochures, 1961-1972 Box 13, Folder 16-19
Box 17
FJCC '71 Invitation to Exhibit  Box 17, Folder 9
 
Western and Eastern Joint Computer Conferences programs, 1961 Box 17, Folder 10
 
FJCC News Releases, 1972 Box 14, Folder 17
Box 17
FJCC '71 Attendance Information  Box 17, Folder 9
 
JCC Guidelines Manual  
Box 14
Administrative Section, 1971 Box 14, Folder 4-5
 
Revisions to Guidelines Manual, 1971 Box 14, Folder 6
 
Technical Program Section, 1971 Box 14, Folder 7
Box 17
Market Development Program, 1971 Box 17, Folder 18
Box 9
National Computer Conference Guidelines Manual, 1985 Box 9, Folder 7
Box 17
National Computer Conference Plans, July 21, 1972 Box 17, Folder 25
Box 14
NCC '73  Box 14, Folder 18-20
Box 16
NCC '73 Paper: "Charge-Back Systems," by A. L. Torrence  Box 16, Folder 26
 
NCC '74: “E3: The Role of the Computer,” keynote address  Box 16, Folder 24
 
NCC '74 related newspaper articles  Box 16, Folder 25
Box 17
NCC '85 Pioneer Day  Box 17, Folder 6
Box 15
NCC '86  Box 15, Folder 18
 
NCC '87  
Box 10
Correspondence, 1986-1987 Box 10, Folder 18
 
News-clippings, 1987 Box 10, Folder 20
 
Reports, 1987 Box 10, Folder 19
Box 9
NCC '88, 1986-1988 Box 9, Folder 26-27
Box 10
NCC Contract Negotiations, 1987 Box 10, Folder 21
Box 9
NCC Shutdown, 1985-1988 Box 9, Folder 28
Box 10
NCC Shutdown, 1985-1988 Box 10, Folder 1
Box 9
NCC and World Computer Conference Trademarks, 1988 Box 9, Folder 24
Box 17
SJCC '70 Final Report, 1970 Box 17, Folder 24
Box 15
USA-Japan Computer Conference, 1972, 1978 Box 15, Folder 2
 
IFIP Records, 1962-1989  
Note Includes brochures and background materials for IFIP conferences and a set of minutes from the council and general assembly meetings held in 1987.
Box 17
“12th World Computer Congress (IFIP Congress ’92): Proposal,” January 1987  Box 17, Folder 30
 
Eleventh World Computer Congress, 1987-1989 Box 16, Folder 17
Box 10
IFIP '89, 1984-1988 Box 10, Folder 11-12
Box 16
IFIP Brochures and Background Materials, 1962, 1965, 1971-1974, 1980 Box 16, Folder 18-20
Box 10
IFIP Conference Brochures, 1980-1988 Box 10, Folder 2
 
IFIP Minutes, September 1987 Box 10, Folder 3
Box 16
Minutes, Five International Associations Coordinating Committee (FIACC), June 2-3, 1970 Box 16, Folder 16
Box 9
World Computer Conference, 1988 Box 9, Folder 25
 
Publications, 1962-1986  
Note Includes AFIPS Headquarters Newsletter and AFIPS Conference Call (newsletter), issues of AFIPS Federal and State Legislative Update, directories, meeting calendars, brochures, and AFIPS Press publications catalogs.
Box 13
"Abacus," June 1977 Box 13, Folder 23
Box 10
AFIPS Brochures, 1966-1986, 1988 Box 10, Folder 28
Box 13
AFIPS Brochures, 1966-1986, 1988 Box 13, Folder 9
Box 11
AFIPS brochures on preserving computer-related history, 1979, 1985 Box 11, Folder 1
 
AFIPS Conference Call  
Box 13
AFIPS Conference Call , vol. 3 no. 1, October 1984 Box 13, Folder 25
Box 11
AFIPS Conference Call , 1980-1984 Box 11, Folder 2
 
AFIPS Directory, 1979-1986 Box 11, Folder 3-4
 
AFIPS Directory of Speakers on the History of Computing, 1981 Box 11, Folder 5
Box 17
"AFIPS Pamphlet on Information Processing," 1962 Box 17, Folder 28
 
AFIPS Press publication catalogs  
Box 13
Catalogs, 1971-1973 and 1986 Box 13, Folder 15
Box 11
Catalogs, 1980-1984 Box 11, Folder 7
Box 13
"An AFIPS Report: The State of the Information Processing Industry," 1966 Box 13, Folder 7
Box 17
AFIPS Washington Report, Vol. 7 nos. 2-3, 6-8, February-August 1981 Box 17, Folder 8
Box 11
Annals of the History of Computing brochures, 1978-1981 Box 11, Folder 9
Box 13
1966 Box 13, Folder 10 “Compilation of Existing Industry Data and Statistics in the Information Processing Field for the American Federation of Information Processing Societies,” by C-E-I-R, Inc.,
 
"Computer Careers," 1968 Box 13, Folder 6
 
"Computer Industry Fact Sheet," 1965 Box 13, Folder 14
 
Computer Revolution, Vol. 1 no. 1, Winter 1984-1985 Box 13, Folder 24
Box 11
Conference and Meeting Calendar, 1985-1986 Box 11, Folder 10
Box 13
“Data on Computer Related Occupations Extracted from the 1970 Census,” 1974 Box 13, Folder 28
 
Federal and State Legislative Updates  
Box 13
Updates, September 1983 and October 1986 Box 13, Folder 26
Box 11
Updates (scattered issues), 1984-1985 Box 11, Folder 11
 
"Government Regulation of the Computer Industry," October 1971 Box 13, Folder 11
Box 11
Headquarters Newsletter (scattered issues), 1971-1980 Box 11, Folder 6
Box 17
Headquarters Newsletter (scattered issues), 1971-1980 Box 17, Folder 15
 
"Information About American Federation of Processing," undated Box 17, Folder 27
 
"Information Processing: The Quiet Revolution," undated Box 17, Folder 31
Box 13
"Information Processing in the United States: A Quantitative Summary, " 1977 Box 13, Folder 21
 
"Information Processing in the United States: A Quantitative Summary, " 1985 Box 13, Folder 22
 
Information Processing Personnel Surveys, 1968 and 1971 Box 13, Folder 13
Box 16
"Legal Aspects of Selected Issues in Telecommunications," December 1, 1970 Box 16, Folder 27
Box 11
Master Calendar of Information Processing Meetings [scattered issues], 1980 Box 11, Folder 12
Box 16
“A National Survey of the Public’s Attitudes Towards Computers,” 1971 Box 16, Folder 28
Box 13
“Numerical Bias in the 1970 U.S. Census Data on Computer Occupations,” 1974 Box 13, Folder 27
 
“The Social Implications of the Use of Computers Across National Boundaries,” May 1973 Box 13, Folder 20
 
“The State of the Computer Industry in the United States,” 1973 Box 13, Folder 5
 
“Twenty Years in Passing Joint Computer Conferences, Twentieth Anniversary,” 1971 Box 13, Folder 8