Information Technology Pioneers

Retirees of UNISYS, Lockheed Martin, et al.
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Legacy Committee
 
Co-chairs
John Westergren, LMCO Staff -       Lowell Benson, VIP Club 2010 Vice President

  

Next committee meeting on May 5th at LMCO, 1 p.m. in the East Lobby

 

We formed the initial committee in October 2005, then met with the Charles Babbage Institute in January 2006.  We started a web site in March 2006.  Since then we've accomplished the items listed in section 1 blow.

 

 

1.0 Legacy Project Results

 

Gathered over 150 topical articles and career summaries for web site use. 

 

Conducted oral/video interviews with about a two dozen retired persons.

 

Gathered numerous documents from retirees.

 

Cataloged 40 boxes of patent dockets before transferring them to the Charles Babbage Institute.

 

Gathered numerous hardware artifacts including models, plaques, components, printed circuit cards, computers, ...

 

Published "The Fred Hargesheimer Story." for local distribution and web viewing.

 

Transferred all collected articles and career summaries from Lowell Benson's personal web site to the VIP Club's new web site.

 

Created new genealogy charts from old combined and defense charts plus modern information - see computers page.

 

Ole retired on 3/31/2008, John Westergren is now the LMCO focal point.  John has also replaced Lee Meyer as Executive of Interest as of July 15th, 2008.

 

Developed a technology history display for Minnesota's 2008 sesquicentennial Capitol Mall celebration.  Showed this display at Plant 4, the MACS building, LMCO, the Eagan Community Center, and the Minnesota State Fair.   Generated a report then placed the report and artifacts into the 2058 Bi-Centennial time capsule. 

 

Earl Vraa led a group documenting the Computer Aided Design development at UNIVAC. 

 

2.0 Legacy Future Plans

  

Harvey Taipale, Larry Bolton, and Quint Heckert meet Monday afternoons at LMCO to catalogue artifacts and documents.  Contact them if you'd are willing to help.

 

We've started outlining a book intending to eventually publish an anthology using items from the web site. [Quint Heckert]

 

We've begun investigating the process of developing a movie. [Harvey Taipale]

  

We've negotiating space with the University's Electrical and Computer Engineering department for a combination history and artifact display.

 

We're seeking contacts to transfer selected hardware artifacts to the Minnesota Historical Society, or other computer history facilities.  Possibly a new Air National Guard facility. 

 

We're continuing oral interviews of  'old timers. [John Westergren]

 


Results continued below


 We setup then staffed a display of our History/Legacy booth items at the University of Minnesota's Computer Science open house on October 10, 2009.

 

January 20, 2010.  Set up an artifact & history exhibit in the University's Walter Library, the first exhibit of a year long agreement.

 

 3.0 Committee Members
3.1 Current LMCO employees
Bob Monson - Systems Engineering 
Peggy Mullikin - Communications
John Samuelson - Engineering Mgmt
John Skonnord - Editor
John Westergren - Executive of Interest

3.2 VIP Club volunteers

Lowell Benson - Engineering Manager

Bill Bergen - Systems Engineer

Larry Bolton - Component Engineer

Dick Erdrich - Computer Designer

Millie Gignac - Human Resources

Quintin Heckert - Systems Engineer, Fellow

Gary Hokenson - Computer Designer

Bernie Jansen - Engineering Manager

Don Lovely - Systems Engineer

Dick Lundgren - Instructor/Writer

Ed Michaud - Facilities Management

Ed Nelson - Engineering Manager

Dick 'Ole' Olson - Systems Engineer

Jim Rapinac - Marketing VP

Dan Rogers - Systems Trainer

Harvey Taipale - Engineering Manager

Tom Turba - Engineering Manager

Earl Vraa - Engineering Manager


3.3 Current UNISYS Employee
Ron Q. Smith - Systems Engineer, Fellow

3.4 CBI Advisor

Dr. Tom Misa - Director, Charles Babbage Institute 


VIP Page 11 updated 11 March, 2010