Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oral History Program, oral history interviews on computers at MIT
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No requestable containers
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The collection consists of supporting documents for and tapes of interviews which discuss Project Whirlwind, Project MAC, and the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, all at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There are transcripts only for the interviews with Hazen, Forrester, Perlis, and Carr (draft). Also includes transcripts and notes of a seminar, "Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence," with Philip Morrison, Jerome Lettvin, and Joseph Weisenbaum, and a lecture by Philip Morse of personal reminiscences of computer development.
The five interviewees were John W. Carr, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania; Robert R. Everett, president of the Mitre Corporation; Jay W. Forrester, professor of management at MIT; Harold L. Hazen, professor emeritus of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT; and Alan J. Perlis, chair of the department of computer science at Yale University.Dates
- Creation: 1976 - 1977
Creator
- Everett, Robert R. (Interviewee, Person)
- Perlis, Alan J. (Interviewee, Person)
- Morse, Philip McCord, 1903-1985 (Interviewee, Person)
- Forrester, Jay W. (Interviewee, Person)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Oral History Program (Interviewer, Organization)
- Carr, John W., III, 1923-1997 (Interviewee, Person)
- Miller, Marc S., 1947- (Interviewer, Person)
Access note
This collection is open. However, audio recordings are closed pending rights review.
Conditions Governing Use
Access to collections in the Department of Distinctive Collections is not authorization to publish. Please see the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection or MIT.
Historical note
Marc Miller of the Massachusetts Instittue of Technology (MIT) Oral History Program interviewed five people in 1977 to document their participation in Project Whirlwind at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as their subsequent work on computers. Project Whirlwind, sponsored by the United States Office of Naval Research, produced the first high speed electronic digital computer able to operate in real time and that could be used as a practical device for controlling manufacturing processes or directing airplane traffic. The five interviewees were John W. Carr, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania; Robert R. Everett, president of the Mitre Corporation; Jay W. Forrester, professor of management at MIT; Harold L. Hazen, professor emeritus of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT; and Alan J. Perlis, chair of the department of computer science at Yale University.
Extent
1.5 Cubic Feet (3 manuscript boxes) : 19 audio cassettes + folders + bound items
Language of Materials
English
Processing Information note
Some collection descriptions are based on legacy data and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. Description may change pending verification. Please contact the MIT Department of Distinctive Collections if you notice any errors or discrepancies.
Subject
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Artificial Intelligence Laboratory -- History (Organization)
- Project MAC (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) -- History (Organization)
- Charles Stark Draper Laboratory -- Oral history (Organization)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (Organization)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Project Whirlwind (Organization)
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Oral History Program, Oral History Interviews on Computers at MIT, 1976-1977
- Status
- Under Revision
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 18 July 2019: Updated access and subject notes.
Repository Details
Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US
distinctive-collections@mit.edu