gar
Senior Member
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Occupation
- EE
160803-2208 EDT
In 1957-58 I took two classes in Math Logic and Adv Math Logic in the Philosophy Department of The University of Michigan. These were taught by Arthur W. Burks.
Burks was one of the early developers and inventors in this field. He made no mention of his early work in class. It was just over ten years earlier that he was a significant contributor to the development of ENIAC at The University of Pennsylvannia.
Burks was a philosopher, mathematician, and electrical and electronics engineer.
Arthur and his wife Alice have written books and articles about the early history of digital computing. The other day I went to a local bookstore to try to get one of the books. Its out of print. Arthur died at 92 in 2008 (born in 1915). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Burks
I believe his wife is still alive, so I tried calling the last phone number I could find. This was an assisted living facility and she is not now there.
A long oral discussion with Arthur and Alice Burks is at http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/107208 then select "View Download file". The following may take you there directly http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/107206/oh075aab.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y . Works in Google Chrome. Reading this gives you and insight into into early computer development, how ideas are developed in an organization, and the interaction of the people working together.
Years ago I should have visited Arthur and directly learned of his early work in computers. Our city library does not have his books, but obviously the U of M does. Parking is a problem at the U of M so I seldom go there. Not visiting Arthur when he was retired was an opportunity lost.
I have had a number of these lost opportunities. A moderately close neighbor is the daughter of John von Neumann. I need to meet her and get some direct history before this opportunity is lost. She has written a book about her father. The Martian's Daughter: A Memoir
Also see https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-von-Neumann
.
In 1957-58 I took two classes in Math Logic and Adv Math Logic in the Philosophy Department of The University of Michigan. These were taught by Arthur W. Burks.
Burks was one of the early developers and inventors in this field. He made no mention of his early work in class. It was just over ten years earlier that he was a significant contributor to the development of ENIAC at The University of Pennsylvannia.
Burks was a philosopher, mathematician, and electrical and electronics engineer.
Arthur and his wife Alice have written books and articles about the early history of digital computing. The other day I went to a local bookstore to try to get one of the books. Its out of print. Arthur died at 92 in 2008 (born in 1915). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Burks
I believe his wife is still alive, so I tried calling the last phone number I could find. This was an assisted living facility and she is not now there.
A long oral discussion with Arthur and Alice Burks is at http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/107208 then select "View Download file". The following may take you there directly http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/107206/oh075aab.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y . Works in Google Chrome. Reading this gives you and insight into into early computer development, how ideas are developed in an organization, and the interaction of the people working together.
Years ago I should have visited Arthur and directly learned of his early work in computers. Our city library does not have his books, but obviously the U of M does. Parking is a problem at the U of M so I seldom go there. Not visiting Arthur when he was retired was an opportunity lost.
I have had a number of these lost opportunities. A moderately close neighbor is the daughter of John von Neumann. I need to meet her and get some direct history before this opportunity is lost. She has written a book about her father. The Martian's Daughter: A Memoir
Also see https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-von-Neumann
.
