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Isaac L. Auerbach Papers, 1948-1987. Finding Aid.

Summary Information
Title: Isaac L. Auerbach papers
Dates: 1948-1987 bulk 1957-1987
Creator: Auerbach, Isaac L. (Isaac Levin), 1921-1992
Extent: 11 boxes (9.5 cubic feet)
Language: English
Collection Number: CBI 52
Abstract:
Collection contains documentation of Isaac L. Auerbach's activities in several professional associations, especially IFIP, his consulting, and other business activities. The IFIP records include materials about the biennial congresses and document the growth and activities of the federation; its relationship with other professional organizations is also documented. The AFIPS records focus on the History of Computing Committee and the Computer History Project of the late 1960s to mid 1970s, including work with the Smithsonian Institution and the Charles Babbage Institute. The Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the International Federation of Automatic Control are also represented in the collection. Some of Auerbach's consulting activities with government and private groups, such as the CTAB, are also documented.

Repository: University of Minnesota Libraries. Charles Babbage Institute.

Access and Use
Acquisition Information:

The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Isaac Auerbach in 1989.

Access Restrictions:

Access to the collection is unrestricted.

Copyright:

CBI 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:

Isaac L. Auerbach Papers (CBI 52), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.


Arrangement

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

  • IFIP Records, 1958-1983
  • Records of Other Associations, 1959-1987
  • Consulting, 1965-1984
  • Miscellaneous History Materials, 1948, 1978-1980
  • Miscellaneous Programs, 1965, ca. 1980
  • Photographs and Film, 1946-1975

Biographical Note

Isaac L. Auerbach earned a BS at Drexel University in 1943. After earning his MS from Harvard in 1947, he became resident engineer at the Univac Division of Sperry Rand. In 1949 he moved to Burroughs Corporation as manager of the Defense Space and Special Products Division. In 1957 he left to form his own company, Auerbach Associates, Inc. He was president of this company until 1976, when he sold the company to its executives. He then founded Isaac L. Auerbach Inc. Consultants and became its president. He was also chairman of Auerbach Corporation Science and Technology, 1957-1983, and president (1960-1981) and later chairman (1981-1986) of Auerbach Publishers.

Auerbach was active in computer societies, especially the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS), where he worked on the History of Computing Committee (HOCC). In 1960 he helped found the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), and was its first president, from 1960-1965.

He worked on government committees as well, including acting as chair for the Commerce Technical Advisory Board (CTAB) working group for the development of a system for U.S. science and technology information.


Collection Scope and Content Note

The collection contains documentation of Isaac Auerbach's activities in several professional associations, especially IFIP, and his consulting and other business activities. The IFIP records include materials about the biennial congresses and document the growth and activities of the federation. The records also document its relationship with other professional organizations. The AFIPS records focus on the History of Computing Committee and the Computer History Project dating from the late 1960s to mid 1970s. This project included work with the Smithsonian Institution and the Charles Babbage Institute.

Some of Auerbach's consulting activities with government and private groups, such as the CTAB, are documented. There are reports from the Auerbach Advisory Service, Auerbach Information Sciences and Technology, Auerbach Institute, and Auerbach Simplact, as well as records of Auerbach Publishing, a memo from Auerbach to Eckert and Mauchly dated 1948, some computer programs, and films and photographs related to Auerbach's consulting work and the history of the computer industry.

The Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the International Federation of Automatic Control are also represented in the collection.

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.
  • Auerbach, Isaac L. (Isaac Levin), 1921-1992
  • Association for Computing Machinery.
  • American Federation of Information Processing Societies.
  • American Federation of Information Processing Societies. History of Computing Committee.
  • Burroughs Corporation.
  • Auerbach Corporation.
  • Charles Babbage Institute.
  • Commerce Technical Advisory Board.
  • Computer History Project.
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
  • International Federation for Information Processing.
  • International Federation of Automatic Control.
  • Smithsonian Institution.
  • Computer industry--History.
  • Computer industry--Societies, etc.
  • Computers--History.
  • Electric engineering--Societies, etc.
  • Electronic data processing--Societies, etc.
Box and Folder List
 Location  Title
 
IFIP Records, 1958-1983 
Box 1
Bylaws and Statutes, 1962-1979. Box 1, Folder 1-3
 
Correspondence, 1958-1984. Box 1, Folder 4-24
Box 2
Correspondence, 1958-1984. Box 2, Folder 1-5
 
Annual Reports, 1976-1983. Box 2, Folder 6-9
 
Council Correspondence, 1959-1965. Box 2, Folder 10-11
 
Organizing meeting, 1959. Box 2, Folder 12
 
Council and General Assembly minutes, 1959-1983. Box 2, Folder 13-21
Box 3
Council and General Assembly minutes, 1959-1983. Box 3, Folder 1-2
 
IFIP Congress '62, 1960-1962. Box 3, Folder 3-10
 
IFIP Congress '65, 1962-1967. Box 3, Folder 11-23
Box 11
IFIP Congress '65, 1962-1967. Box 11
Box 3
IFIP Congress '68, 1967-1968. Box 3, Folder 24-26
Box 4
IFIP Congress '71, 1969-1971. Box 4, Folder 1-3
 
IFIP Congress '74, 1972-1974. Box 4, Folder 4-5
 
IFIP Congress '77, 1976-1977. Box 4, Folder 6-8
 
IFIP Congress '80, 1980. Box 4, Folder 9
 
IFIP Congress '83, 1980-1983. Box 4, Folder 10
 
Admissions, 1960-1964. Box 4, Folder 11-12
 
Admissions Committee, 1960-1965, 1969. Box 4, Folder 13
 
Allied Organizations, 1962-1965. Box 4, Folder 14
 
Applied Information Processing Group, 1977-1981. Box 4, Folder 15
 
Awards Committee, 1961-1963. Box 4, Folder 16
 
Committee for International Liaison, 1970-1977. Box 4, Folder 17
 
Committee for the Standardization of Terminology and Symbols, 1960-1962. Box 4, Folder 18-19
 
Committee Member Names and Addresses, 1963-1965. Box 4, Folder 20
Box 1
Curriculum for Information Systems Designers, 1974-1978. Box 1, Folder 21
 
Finances, 1959-1976. Box 1, Folder 22-23
Box 4
Future Plans Committee, 1964-1965. Box 4, Folder 24
 
"A Future Strategy and Structure for IFIP," 1979. Box 4, Folder 25
Box 5
Bulletin of the IFIP (English and French), No. 1 & 2, 1961-1962. Box 5, Folder 1
 
History of IFIP Working File, 1957-1961. Box 5, Folder 2
 
IFIP Information Bulletin, 1976-1977, 1980. Box 5, Folder 3
 
Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics, 1967-1976. Box 5, Folder 4
 
International Federation of Automatic Control, 1959-1965. Box 5, Folder 5-7
 
International Medical Informatics Association, 1978-1980. Box 5, Folder 8
 
Joint IFIP/ICC Terminology Committee, 1961-1964. Box 5, Folder 9
 
Long Range Planning, 1962-1963. Box 5, Folder 10
 
Mussard, J.A., 1961-1963. Box 5, Folder 11
 
IFIP News\Bulletin, 1960-1963. Box 5, Folder 12
 
IFIP News, No. 1 & 2, 1963. Box 5, Folder 13
 
Nominations Committee, 1962-1963. Box 5, Folder 14
 
Officers, 1968-1969. Box 5, Folder 15
 
Pioneer Day Proposal, 1980. Box 5, Folder 16
 
Prospective Members, 1962-1964. Box 5, Folder 17
 
Public Relations, 1959-1962. Box 5, Folder 18
 
Smith, Bucklin & Associates, 1966-1971. Box 5, Folder 19
 
Speiser, A.P. (Secretary), 1960-1963. Box 5, Folder 20
 
Summary Brochures, 1965-1977. Box 5, Folder 21
 
TC2, 1961-1965. Box 5, Folder 22-26
 
TC3, 1961-1965. Box 5, Folder 27
 
Working Group 2.1, Algol, 1961-1965. Box 5, Folder 28-29
 
UNESCO Relations, 1961-1962. Box 5, Folder 30-31
 
UNESCO Working Group, Mechanical Translation, 1961-1962. Box 5, Folder 32
 
UNESCO Working Party No. 2, Automatic Documentation, 1963-1964. Box 5, Folder 33
 
Non-IFIP Communication Standards, 1965. Box 5, Folder 34
 
Records of Other Associations, 1959-1987 
 
AFIPS, 1965-1987 
Box 6
AFIPS, general records, 1978-1984. Box 6, Folder 4-5
 
Historical Committee Computer History Project, 1967-1974. Box 6, Folder 6-10
 
History of Computing Committee, 1977-1983. Box 6, Folder 11-25
 
History of Computing Programs, 1971-1976. Box 6, Folder 26-27
Box 7
History - Smithsonian Computer History Project, 1965-1987. Box 7, Folder 1-5
 
History - Spectrum History Panel, 1981. Box 7, Folder 6
 
New Activities Committee, 1975-1976. Box 7, Folder 7
 
Pioneer Day, 1981. Box 7, Folder 8-9
Box 6
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 1961-1981. Box 6, Folder 1-3
Box 7
Charles Babbage Institute (CBI), 1980. Box 7, Folder 11-12
 
Data Processing Management Association (DPMA), 1963. Box 7, Folder 13
 
Federation Internationale de Documentation (FID), 1963-1967. Box 7, Folder 14
 
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 1964-1984. Box 7, Folder 15-19
 
International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), 1962-1965. Box 7, Folder 20-21
 
Instruments Society of America (ISA), 1959-1960. Box 7, Folder 22
 
Management Centre Europe (MCE), 1971. Box 7, Folder 23
 
UNESCO, 1957. Box 7, Folder 24
 
Union of International Engineering Organizations and Information Council of Scientific Unions, 1960-1962. Box 7, Folder 25
 
U.S. Information Agency, 1962-1963. Box 7, Folder 10
 
U.S. National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission, 1966. Box 7, Folder 26
 
Consulting, 1965-1984 
 
Auerbach Advisory Service (AAS), 1979 
Box 7
Selected Readings for Mr. Amos Bergner Blitney, 1979. Box 7, Folder 27
 
Auerbach Information Sciences and Technology 1965-1968 
Box 7
Composition and Growth of the Information Processing Industry, for FCC, 1968. Box 7, Folder 28
 
Data Management Seminar, undated. Box 7, Folder 29
 
Evaluation of the Methodology of the DOD User Needs Study, 1965. Box 7, Folder 30
 
Auerbach Institute (AI), 1968-1969 
Box 7
A Growth Plan for the Auerbach Institute, 1968. Box 7, Folder 31
 
Advanced Computer Concepts for Jet Propulsion Lab, 1968. Box 7, Folder 32-34
Box 8
Advanced Computer Concepts for Jet Propulsion Lab, 1968. Box 8, Folder 1-3
 
Management Information Systems, 1969. Box 8, Folder 4
 
Techniques of File Design and Data Base Structure, 1968. Box 8, Folder 5-6
 
Auerbach Publishing, 1972-1981 
Box 8
Auditoria de PED, 1980. Box 8, Folder 7
 
Auerbach Computer Technology Microlibrary, 1972. Box 8, Folder 8
Box 10
Auerbach Computer Technology Microlibrary (microfiche), 1972. Box 10, Folder 1
Box 8
Best Computer Papers, 1978-1981. Box 8, Folder 9-12
 
Auerbach Simplact, 1978-1979 
Box 8
Advanced Program for Engineering Managers, for GM, 1978. Box 8, Folder 13-14
 
Information Exchange, 1979. Box 8, Folder 15
 
Prompt II, 1979. Box 8, Folder 16-21
 
Miscellaneous Consulting, 1972-1984 
Box 8
Commerce Technical Advisory Board (CTAB), 1978-1981. Box 8, Folder 22-26
Box 9
Commerce Technical Advisory Board (CTAB), 1978-1981. Box 9, Folder 1-6
 
Computer Assisted Language Translation Systems, 1983-1984. Box 9, Folder 7-9
 
ILA Inc. Prospect, Israel Computerized Language Translation, 1984. Box 9, Folder 10
 
National Bureau of Standards (NBS), 1972-1979. Box 9, Folder 11-13
 
National Cash Register (NCR), 1975-1978. Box 9, Folder 14
 
National Science Foundation (NSF), 1979. Box 9, Folder 15
 
U.S. President's Committee on Science and Technology, 1977. Box 9, Folder 16
 
Miscellaneous History Materials, 1948, 1978-1980 
Note This series includes an interview of Isaac Auerbach by Nancy Stern on the early days of computers and a memo from Auerbach to Eckert and Mauchly dated 1948
Box 9
Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corp., Auerbach Memo, 1948. Box 9, Folder 17
 
Nancy Stern Oral History, 1978-1980. Box 9, Folder 18
 
Miscellaneous Programs, 1965, circa 1980 
Note This series includes COMPAR manuals and background materials concerning Electronic Tote.
Box 9
COMPAR, circa 1980. Box 9, Folder 19-22
 
Electronic Tote, 1965, 1970-1972. Box 9, Folder 23-25
 
Photographs and Film, 1946-1975 
Note This series contains films and photographs related to Auerbach's consulting work and the history of the computer industry.
Box 10
Auerbach Founding (film), 1957. Box 10, Folder 2
 
Auerbach Picnic, Dr. Hill, 1967. Box 10, Folder 3
 
Computer Museum Floor Plans, 1975. Box 10, Folder 4
 
ENIAC, Group Photograph, 1946. Box 10, Folder 4
 
IFIP TC2, Group Photographs, 1964. Box 10, Folder 5
 
John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, 1971. Box 10, Folder 6
 
John Von Neumann and wife (from AFIPS History of Computing Project), 1972. Box 10, Folder 7
 
News Release Photographs of Auerbach Personnel (James P. Anderson, Isaac L. Auerbach, Sheldon J. Einhorn, John A.  
Box 10
Gosden, Stephen W. Leibholz, Robert J. Rossheim, Arnold B. Shafritz), 1965. Box 10, Folder 8