cbi00182 I. Bernard Cohen Papers, 1889-1987. Finding Aid. Prepared by Emilia Garvey, March 2008. University of Minnesota Libraries March 2008
University of Minnesota Libraries Minneapolis, MN 55455
EAD encoding by Emilia Garvey, March 2008. English University of Minnesota Libraries. Charles Babbage Institute. [cbi] Cohen, I. Bernard, 1914-2003 I. Bernard Cohen Papers, 1889-1987. 1889-1987 3 boxes (3 cubic feet) This collection contains records documenting I. Bernard Cohen’s involvement as a historical consultant on the history of computing. The material represented here includes proposals, layouts, caption texts and photographs documenting exhibits, company promotional materials, correspondence with and reports of fellow scholars and students, and photocopies of articles used for research. CBI 182 English Administrative Information Acquisition:

Received from George Smith, Acting Director of the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology, 2003.

 Access to materials:

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:

I. Bernard Cohen Papers (CBI 182), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

 Arrangement of Collection

Collection maintained in original order.

 Biographical Note

I. Bernard Cohen (1914-2003) was a historian of science, best known for his translation of Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica, published in 1972, the first English translation of the work since 1729. His interest in the history of computing manifested itself primarily in his work as an historical consultant to IBM.

Cohen earned a BS in mathematics at Harvard University in 1937 and a PhD in the History of Science at Harvard in 1947. He was the first American to receive a PhD in the subject. He taught at Harvard University as a physics and mathematics instructor (1942-1947), as a faculty member in the History of Science Program (1946-1977), and as the Victor S. Thomas Professor of the History of Science (1977-1984). He participated and held office in a number of scientific societies, associations, and academies.

His work as an historical consultant for IBM, and his foray into the history of computers, began with the IBM History Wall, an exhibition at IBM’s New York headquarters in the 1960s. Cohen continued to advise IBM on various exhibitions, and offered guidance in the organization of their technical archives and technical history series. He also advised the American Federation of Information Processing Societies and the Smithsonian Institution on historical exhibits, served as a board member of the Charles Babbage Foundation, and mentored many scholars in the history of computing.

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains records documenting I. Bernard Cohen’s involvement as a historical consultant on the history of computing. The material represented here includes proposals, layouts, caption texts and photographs documenting exhibits, company promotional materials, correspondence with and reports of fellow scholars and students, and photocopies of articles used for research. The scope dates of the collection encompass the scope of the research documents photocopied--no original documents in these records pre-date the 1960s.

 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.

Cohen, I. Bernard, 1914-2003 Box and Folder List

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

1 IBM Antique Machines Inventory, c.1968 1 Significant Events in the Development of Calculating and Tabulating Machines, prepared by student researchers, IBM Summer Research Project, 1969. 1 IBM World Trade Corporation Chronology, 1968. 1 Chronology of Computing in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, James Connolly, 1967. 1 The IBM X-795 Experimental Engineering Calculator, W.W. Woodbury, 1954. 1 Saphire Interviews indexes, 1986. 1 The SSEC In Historical Perspective, C.J. Bashe, 1982. 1 Report on the Exhibition of “A Calculator Chronicle” at IBM Gallery of Science and Art, Draft #2, I. Bernard Cohen, 1985. 1 Calculating to Computing… The Dawn of the Information Age, remarks, Lewis M. Branscomb, and correspondence, 1982-83. 1 IBM…Yesterday and Today, pamphlet, 1981. 1 Collection of Calculating Devices, Machines, and Instruments from the Antiquity to the Early XXth Century, offered for sale by Librairie Alain Brieux, 1984. 1 Chips and Changes, Advisor’s Review, 1982. 1 An Introduction to the Early Technical History of the M.I.T. Whirlwind Computer, 1944- 1951, Richard R. Mertz, Computer History Project, Smithsonian, 1971. 1 Chips and Changes, draft text, c. 1982. 1 First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC, John von Neumann, 1945. 1 Progress Report on the EDVAC, 1946. 1 Comparison of the Methods of Tabulation in the Tenth and Eleventh Censuses of the United States, 1894. 1 Hollerith lecture notes, I. Bernard Cohen, n.d. 1 James Powers biographical information, 1969. 1 The Punched Card Machines, article, Richard Berger, 1928. 1 Railroad Gazette and Railway Accounting Officers articles on punch cards, c.1900. 1 Mechanized Accountancy, from Machinery, 1934. 1 Social Security: Summary, Wilbur Knorr, 1970. 1 John Napier’s Binary Abacus, Geoffrey Ralston, 1979. 1 John Napier’s Binary Abacus, Geoffrey Ralston, 1979. 1 Electronic Computers: A Historical Survey, Saul Rosen, 1969. 1 Punched-Card Techniques and Their Applications to Scientific Problems, W.J. Eckert, 1947. 1 The Application of Commercial Calculating Machines to Scientific Computing, L.J. Comrie, 1946. 1 Recent Developments in Calculating Machines, L.J. Comrie, 1928. 1 Computing the “Nautical Almanac”, L.J. Comrie, 1933. 1 Proposed Automatic Calculating Machine, prospectus, Howard Aiken, 1937. 1 Hollerith Tabulating Machine, diagrams, 1889-94. 1 The IBM Watson Laboratory at Columbia University: A History, Jean Ford Brennan, 1971. 1 Keeping Up With Computing Abroad, NewsReport, 1982. 1 A Survey of the Principle Developments in Calculating Machines up to About 1900, 1967. 1 IBM 305 RAMAC pamphlets, guide, and manual, 1958. 1 The Mathematical Machine, draft, Wilbur Knorr, 1981. 1 Calculator Slide Talk for Digital Computer Museum, Gordon K. Bell, 1980. 1 Counting a Nation by Electricity, The Electrical Engineer, 1891. 1 The Census of the United States, Scientific American, 1890. 1 The Evolution of Computing, IBM Speaker’s Bureau slideshow script, c. 1950. 1 IBM Achievement Corridor: Pioneers of Machine Calculation, exhibit captions, Wilbur Knorr, 1979. 1 Rechenmaschinen, E. Martin, excerpts in English translation, 1947. 2 IBM Exhibit of Early Calculators, discussion meeting text, 1969. 2 IBM Education display captions, William Aul, 1982. 2 Calculating to Computing…The Dawn of the Information Age, exhibit captions, 1982. 2 First Draft Scripts for Personal Computer exhibits, IBM Corporate Exhibits program, 1982. 2 Mechanical calculating machines, articles and translations, L. Jacob, 1911. 2 Electronic Machinery for Handling Information and Its Uses in Insurance, Transactions of the Actuarial Society of America, Edmund C. Berkeley, 1947. 2 Technical History of IBM Computers, handwritten notes on chapter description, n.d. 2 Review of “From ENIAC to UNIVAC”, Datamation, Nancy Stern, 1981. 2 Innovation in IBM Computer Technology Exhibition, press kits and exhibit information, 1983. 2 Innovation in IBM Computer Technology Exhibition, caption text draft, 1983. 2 The Computer Museum Report 1982. 2 IBM History and Heritage Exhibit, draft captions, 1983. 2 The Case for Computer Literacy, Daedalus, John G. Kemeny, 1983. 2 History of Computing Exhibit, caption material and item lists, 1983. 2 Mathematics Program Changes report, with review by I. Bernard Cohen, 1987. 2 Bicentennial of the Constitution Exhibit, script, 1987. 2 The Information Revolution Smithsonian Exhibit, correspondence, proposals, 1984-1987. 2 IBM Conference Proceedings, Table of contents for selected years, 1940-1966. 2 American Federation of Information Processing Societies-Smithsonian Oral History Project, background information, 1970-1973. 2 IBM Technical History sample chapters, C.J. Bashe, 1970-1973. 2 Manny Piore interview, 1986. 2 Personal Recollections on the Origin of IFIP, Isaac Auerbach, n.d. 2 IFIP-The Early Years, Isaac Auerbach, n.d. 2 Memorial Tribute to Harry H. Goode, Isaac Auerbach, n.d. 2 Memorial Tribute to Harry H. Goode, Isaac Auerbach, n.d. 2 Philosophical Gardens: An Exhibit on Stephen Hales, IBM Exhibit Center, 1974. 2 Moveable Feasts and Changing Calendars Exhibit, IBM Exhibit Center, 1973. 2 IBM Technical History, chapter drafts, 1984. 2 The SSEC in Historical Perspective, notes and drafts, C.J. Bashe, 1982. 2 IBM Technical History, chapter comments, I. Bernard Cohen, 1983. 2 System 360 in Retrospective, B.O.Evans, n.d. 2 The IBM Magnetic Film Memory Development Effort, Emerson Pugh, with reviewers comments, I. Bernard Cohen, 1981-1982. 2 IBM History, C.J. Bashe, comments by I.Bernard Cohen, n.d. 2 Antique Calculator and Computer Exhibit, Maryland Science Center, c. 1980. 2 IBM Museum Summer Research Projects, final reports, c. 1969. 3 Family Tree / Counting and Reckoning Tools, 1600-1900, 1982. 3 History of IBM Data Processing Exhibit, IBM Exhibit Center, 1976. 3 Information and Innovation Exhibition, subject development packet and proposal, 1980. 3 Patentabteilung, translated as Tabulating Machines Patents, 1980. 3 An Electrical Calculating Machine, R.R.M. Mallock, 1933. 3 Mechanische Integration von Differentialgliechungen, Die Naturwissenschaften, Svein Rosseland, 1939. 3 IBM Exhibit Center Three Year Development Planning 1973. 3 Bibliographic records of books on computing, 1970. 3 Digital Computer Museum Report, 1982. 3 Mathematica: A World of Numbers… and beyond, exhibit booklet draft, n.d. 3 Calculating to Computing…Dawn of the Information Age exhibition, proposal with modifications for Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, 1980-1981. 3 Early Electronic Computer Developments at IBM, Annals of the History of Computing, Byron Phelps, 1980. 3 The Architecture of IBM’s Early Computers, IBM Journal of Research and Development, C.J. Bashe et.al, 1981. 3 Grace Hopper items inventory, n.d. 3 George Scheutz and the First Printing Calculator, Uta C. Merzbach, 1977. 3 Calculating to Computing: An Audience Reaction Study, M.J. Sullivan, 1980. 3 The IBM Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator, Arup K. Bhattacharya, 1982. 3 Charles Babbage biographical information, n.d. 3 Otto Steiger Patents the Millionaire, historical notes, n.d. 3 The Odhner History: An Illustrated Chronicle of A Machine to Count On, 1951. 3 The Application of Hollerith Accounting Machines to the Distribution of Engineering Instructions, Post Office Electrical Engineers Journal, H.E. Barnett and W.A.H. Venus, 1939. 3 Chronological Document Index (1472-1965) 1969. 3 Technology in 1910, exhibit images and captions, n.d. 3 Report on the Contents of the IBM Documentary File on Thomas de Colmar, Wilbur Knorr, 1968. 3 Technology in 1900s, illustration images n.d. 3 Preserving the History of Computing, Smithsonian booklet, c. 1980. 3 Kel-Sann Adder Report, Wilbur Knorr, c. 1969. 3 L.J. Comrie, biography and bibliography, Per Stromholm, 1969. 3 A Computer Perspective book introduction draft, I. Bernard Cohen, c. 1975. 3 Blaise Pascal documents photographs, n.d. 3 Achievement Corridor captions, 1978. 3 Report on Trip To Examine Babbage Material in South Kensington Museum, Bruce Collier, 1967. 3 Thomas de Colmar biographical information, n.d. 3 The Development of the Digital Computer: A Case of ONR Support of Research, Elizabeth C. Luebbert, article and correspondence, 1974. 3 Moore School Computer Museum, photographs and brochure, 1979. 3 Babbage Engines postcards, n.d. 3 Computer Bibliographies, 1944-62. 3 Computers in Action: Ten Days That Made Space History, IBM, 1966. 3 A Computer Perspective exhibit, IBM Exhibit Center, press kit, 1974. 3 While The Astronauts Look Down exhibit, IBM Exhibit Center, press kit, 1972. 3 Computer “Bug” terminology, correspondence, 1976. 3 Computer “Bug” terminology, correspondence, 1976. 3 IBM Museum Information Center: Rules for Bibliographic Recording, 1969. 3 Tre Secoli Di Elaborazione Dei Dati, IBM, c. 1970. 3 What is a Computer?, pamphlet, IBM, 1965. 3 Think Magazine, 1971. 3 The Wall article draft, I. Bernard Cohen, 1971. 3 The Punch Card 250 Years Later: Applications Unlimited, IBM, 1967. 3 “Mathematical Games: The Remarkable Lore of the Prime Numbers, Scientific American, Martin Gardener, 1964. 3 Computers are Going to Town, pamphlet, IBM, 1972. 3 IBM Museum Summer Research Projects, final reports, 1968. 3 Claude Shannon interview notes, I. Bernard Cohen and Owen Gingerich, 1970. 3 Watson Research Center rare book holdings list, 1968.