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The bios of the 2000s IBM 1401 2000s Restoration Team are here

November 10, 2009 Reunion
and 50th Anniversary

The official announcement of the IBM 1401 was made
- on closed-circuit TV
- Monday, October 5th, 1959.

The "50th Anniversary of the IBM 1401" event at

- the Computer History Museum
- Tuesday, November 10th, 2009"

Also see CHM's Official Announcement

Robert Garner proposes/authorizes the following:

Subject: "The 50th Anniversary of the IBM 1401" Event at the Computer History Museum, November 10, 2009

Everyone is cordially invited to attend the "50th Anniversary of the IBM 1401" event at the Computer History Museum on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. The event will acknowledge the 1401's remarkable history & influence, recognize the original IBM 1401 team members, highlight the Museum's 1401 volunteer achievements in restoring two 1401s, and have public demonstrations of an operational 1401 system.

The 1401 event lineup on Tuesday includes an evening presentation and Q&A panel session by original 1401 engineering management and marketing folks plus an afternoon luncheon event for the original 1401 team members with a sharing of history, stories, anecdotes, pictures, music, poetry, and movies.

On Monday and Wednesday, 1401 restoration team members will also be at the Museum operating the two restored 1401s. The restoration team has extended an invitation to the original 1401 team members to visit during this time (and it can be an opportunity to tour the Museum's on-site collection.)

The current proposed agenda for the 90-min evening event is:

  • 5 mins ... Welcome ... John Hollar, CEO, CHM
  • 5 mins ... Introduction ... Jon Iwata, Senior VP of IBM Marketing & Communications (includes a 2-min movie)
  • 20 mins ... 1401 Program ... Chuck Branscomb, 1401 program manger
  • 15 mins ... 1401 Architecture ... Francis Underwood, 1401 chief architect
  • 15 mins ... 1401 Planning ... Shel Jacobs
  • 5 mins ... 1401 Restoration ... Robert Garner
  • 15 mins ... Panel session ... all speakers
  • 10 mins ... Q&A ... from audience

Please note that Jim Ingram, 1401 project manager, is planning on attending.

The above looks so formal :-|

Heck, we just gotta have a little fun ;-)) Maybe at the Tuesday luncheon? - Note: date in following messge updated
We may have a poet laureate - Earl Bloom
"Who is planning the program for November 10? Several years ago, I wrote a poem about the 1401 and our development team which I recited at Jud McCarthy's 50th Wedding Anniversary a year ago last July in Boca Raton. I would like to read it at the 1401 Reunion in November. It's nostalgic and humorous!"

OK - When was the last time you ever heard an engineer try to do poetry? - sober?

I don't remember either -

This ought to be either fun or ... - I can hardly wait - We can stand near the door ;-))

Ed Thelen

Other possibilities include:

Listen to
- "IBM 1401: A User's Manual" symphony,
- 1401 radio music
watch:
- the video of the extraction of the CT system from an old basement in Darien, CT,
- old videos of the guys restoring the 1401
...

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