Alden Allen joined the Engineering Research Associates (ERA) division of Remington Rand (later the Univac division of Sperry Rand) in 1955 as a mechanical engineer. He was involved in the development and production of magnetic drum and thin film memory for computer systems.
The collection includes photographs, drawings, specifications, maintenance manuals, correspondence, memoranda, and newspaper clippings largely related to magnetic drum storage devices produced by ERA and Univac. In addition, the collection includes information about fixed and flying head drums, magnetic heads, and specific drum projects. The collection also contains extensive photographs of ERA and Univac drums, a maintenance manual for the Remington Rand model 46 High-Speed Printer, newspaper clippings about the company, correspondence related to Alden's employment, and publications.
The materials in this collection are arranged into the following groups:
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.
The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Alden W. Allen in 1986.
Access to the collection is unrestricted.
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).
Alden W. Allen Papers (CBI 26), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.