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Information Technology Pioneers

Retirees and former employees of Unisys, Lockheed Martin, and their predecessor companies

Planning Ahead!

  • Sept 13, 1:30 PM: Open House at UNISYS in Eagan.
  • October 11, Pie & Ice Cream at the Roseville Masonic Lodge.
  • Nov 17, 11 AM: Unihogs/ Uniturkeys at Casper's in Eagan
  • Dec 7, 11 AM: Annual UNIVAC Old Timers' Reunion at the Lost Spur in Eagan

See Social Activities for event  information.

Board Meetings:

  • October 4, 10 AM at UNISYS in Eagan
  • December 6, 10 AM in Roseville, 3026 Highpointe Curve. 
  • 2018 meetings are tbd.

 

Welcome to the VIP Club

Members are retirees, former employees, spouses, and retirement eligible employees of Unisys, Lockheed Martin (LMCO), and their Twin Cities legacy companies. Join us, the remainder of this year if free if you pay for 2018 or 2018-20. 

Announcements*

  • Unihogs/Uniturkeys November 17th flyer in now available; Dr. Jeffrey Yost, Acting Director of the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota will be our guest speaker. [8/22/17]
  • New Legacy Articles: We've posted the June, July, and August articles, see http://vipclubmn.org/OurStories.html#2017 - All relate to the ERA 1100 computer series. [8/8/17]
  • 2020 Celebration? 2020 will be the 40th Anniversary of the VIP Club. New board members are needed to lead us over the next three years; contact Keith Behnke, Harvey Taipale, or Lowell Benson to discuss your opportunity to serve fellow retirees. [8/8/17]
  • Thanks Sue: About 300 former UNISYS, Roseville enjoyed a last walkthrough of UNISYS plant 4 on June 15th. Administrator Sue Carrigan arranged to have Francoise Malek make the group photo, scroll down past the site search box. [7/20/2017]
  • BTW: On-line registration is now available for the 13 September Unisys Open House and Legacy Exhibit. [7/20/2017]
  • 18 bits! My name is Duane Craps. I worked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on Naval Missile Systems which used 1219B computers which were also known as the Mk.152 Digital Fire Control Computers. I am involved in the restoration of the 1219B's at the Vintage Computer Federation museum at Wall NJ. These 1219B computers were formerly at John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where they were used in research for the Navy's Missile Program.  I have a Yahoo! group for UNIVAC Computers: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/UnivacComputers/info - In the files area there is a zip file with my 1219/1532 emulator and assembler program. 
    You 18-bit guys would be happy to know that the last Navy 1219Bs were turned off in 2015! They were at a shore site AN/SPN-42 Automatic Carrier Landing System. If you find any 1218/1219/418 information please let me know. Duane [7/20/2017]
  • Thanks to Dave Wilhelm:  he has posted 31 nostalgic photos from the 6/15 open house of Unisys Roseville (plant 4, Building 3) facility before its final closing. The plant was in operation form 1964 until June 23rd 2017. https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100060900510377257166/album/AF1QipNNIW2qr62321rMGQCjzkye61a7TJlQWkhQzdjR?source=pwa [6/22/17]
  • Quality Control: The format conversion to 'what you see now' is complete for all pages and chapters. I have not 'tested' every button nor blue highlighted link on each page and chapter. Please, if a button/tab/link doesn't work for you, send me a note - webmaster@vipclubmn.org. Thanks, LABenson! [5/19/2017]
  • Linguistic Skillls! Our Air Sovereignty Operation Centers chapter has been translated into the Romanian language - http://www.dontpayfull.com/page/sysasoc [5/8/17]
  • From Dale Weeks: A brief update to inform you of the progress on our Minnesota Computer History Initiative over the last 6 months. [4/14/17]
  • UBBRG last Newsletter: The Unisys Blue Bell Retirees' Group final newsletter is linked from our newsletter page. [12/20/2016]

*Contact webmaster to post items in this section; next update planned for 7/24 [item posted date in brackets.]

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Help our Historians

  • Refer to the General Manager's table at http://vipclubmn.org/lmcolegacy.html#Mgrs - The webmaster would like to know what year the commercial operations of UNIVAC started reporting to Blue Bell versus to the listed Twin Cities general manager. Who led the Plant 4 operations when it opened in 1961? [5/1/17]
  • The volunteers working Tuesday mornings at the Lawshe Memorial Museum still need help - once a week or once per fortnight or once a month or your choice based on your 'volunteerism' time.  Just drop in on any Tuesday morning [9 to 11:30] and chat with the crew on the second floor for an explanation of what they are doing and how you could help. [5/17/2017]

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