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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

332.0. "Was A.R.& D.'s board really that old?" by ANGORA::MORRISON (Bob M. LMO2/P41 296-5357) Mon Jun 22 1987 16:57

  Re note 267.10 (Ken Olsen's speech at MIT): It says that most of
the board members of American Research and Development, which pro-
vided funding for DEC in 1957, were over 80 at the time. This does-
n't make sense. The topic is set no-reply, so that is why I am 
writing a new note. Is there anyone reading this who is an expert
on DEC's early history and can confirm this bit of trivia? Or, more\
likely, someone who listened to Ken's speech on tape?
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
332.1standard module, but maybe just mythSAUTER::SAUTERJohn SauterTue Jun 23 1987 08:436
    I didn't hear the address at MIT, but I have heard him give that
    "module" before, and whenever I have heard it the claim that most
    of the board members were over 80 was included.  I never took the
    statement seriously--just as hyperbole on the part of Doriot, who
    was much older himself than Olsen.
        John Sauter
332.2DEC's "Godfather" passed away recently.YUPPIE::COLEI survived B$ST, I think.....Tue Jun 23 1987 10:273
	General Doriot died a couple of weeks ago, and he was 96, I think.  He 
would have been in his upper 60's when Ken came looking for money.  Wouldn't 
surprise me any if most of the Board was older than Doriot at the time.
332.3Came from "Tech Talk"ANGORA::MORRISONBob M. LMO2/P41 296-5357Tue Jun 23 1987 12:313
I just found out that the transcript that has been circulating on the
network came from Tech Talk, an MIT newspaper. It sounds like Ken
did say "over 80".