First Computer System
On February 18, 1964, a new IBM 1620 computer system was installed on the third floor of the business school building. A small crane lifted sections of the system, which were then pulled in through a third-floor window. The business school planned to use the computer in giving students experience with modern data processing. The departments of mathematics, physics and chemistry also planned to use the new systems for programming classes and research. Dr. E. Sherman Grable of the mathematics department offered two of the first classes in programming and a seminar on “electronic processing” in business.The system included the IBM 1620, an IBM 1622 card reader/punch, a collator, a sorter and printer. The cost of the equipment was approximately $100,000. This early computer used the Fortran language.
In addition to the academic applications, the computer system was used by the admissions office and to process grades. Frederick A. Shahda, assistant director of computer systems, reported that a program was created to predict applicants’ chances of graduating from college with a C+ average by processing their high school rank, class size, and College Board scores.
Pictures of the computer being installed in the business school can be found in the February 21, 1964, edition of The Collegian. The December 11, 1964, edition pictures sophomore Ellen Sanderson who beat the computer in a baseball game.