Bound Printout from COBOL Test Program Run December 6, 1960, at RCA

Bound Printout from COBOL Test Program Run December 6, 1960, at RCA

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Description
COBOL was one of the first programming languages designed to run on computers built by several different manufacturers. In December 1960 programmers at Remington Rand UNIVAC and at RCA successfully ran the same COBOL test programs on a Univac II and an RCA 501 computer.
This is the printout from the RCA demonstration. It contains two programs. One produces a profit and loss report for a corporation. It is a modification of a program developed by Warren G. Simmons of US Steel for a UNIVAC II.
According to the printout, the actual program used in the test was written by J. Farinelli. This was probably programmer Joseph D. Farinelli of US Steel. The second program, which computes cash sales and credit balances, was written by Carl H. Thorne Jr. of the General Services Administration for an RCA computer.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
documentation
date made
1960
maker
RCA Corporation
Place Made
United States: New Jersey, Cherry Hill
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 12 in x 16 in x 2 5/16 in; 30.48 cm x 40.64 cm x 5.842 cm
ID Number
2010.3050.2
catalog number
2010.3050.2
nonaccession number
2010.3050
Credit Line
Courtesy of Howard Bromberg
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Computers
Computers & Business Machines
COBOL
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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Comments

"Carl H Thorne Jr. was my dad. The run date on this program, December 6, 1960, indicates he was only 29 years old at the time. The strange coincidence here is that this date is exactly 6 years (to the day) before the day I was born!"

Rob Thorne

Fri, 2015-10-23 20:11

I know Bobby Thorne and we just did a project including Carl H Thorne Jr. He had some very important technological advances.

Braiden

Wed, 2016-03-30 23:46

J. Farinelli (Joseph) was my dad.I remember him talking about this very important project that his group was working on. He used to travel from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia often. He taught me to flow chart when I was just a kid!

Patti

Fri, 2013-07-19 10:44

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