[J3] Fwd: Re: Dick Weaver (was Re: GE-225 Programming Reference Manual
Dick Hendrickson
dick.hendrickson at gmail.com
Thu Feb 17 23:13:32 UTC 2022
I remember “Weaver's law”:
if you try to say the same thing in two different places, you’ll get it
wrong at least once.
At most multi-day meetings, people sit in the same chair at every meeting.
Dick violated that “rule" and moved from place to place twice a day.
I was going to mention “too many Dick’s “, but Keith beat me to it.
Dick was a neat guy, I’m glad I knew him.
Dick Hendrickson
On Thu, Feb 17, 2022 at 4:44 PM Keith Bierman via J3 <
j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:
> Thanks for passing this along. When I first joined the committee Dick was
> a force to be reckoned with. For the longest time we were on opposite side
> (Dick/IBM against releasing "Fortran 8x" and me/Sun for) but that didn't
> get in the way of productive technical discussions, and friendship.
>
> We had several Dick and Richards on the committee, and Dick's alternate
> (Janice Shepherd) broke us all up one afternoon (responding to a discussion
> where the speaker conflated a couple of the member's positions) with "our
> problem is that we have too many Dicks on this committee). From the quick
> onset of blush, I don't think she meant it quite the way it sounded ;>
>
> Keith Bierman
> khbkhb at gmail.com
> 303 997 2749 <http://voice.google.com/calls?a=nc,%2B13039972749>
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 17, 2022 at 2:00 PM Van Snyder via J3 <
> j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:
>
>> Are there any X3J3 denizens left who remember Dick Weaver?
>>
>> -------- Forwarded Message --------
>> *From*: Robert Garner <robgarn at mac.com
>> <Robert%20Garner%20%3crobgarn at mac.com%3e>>
>> *To*: Dave Weaver <davidcweaver at gmail.com
>> <Dave%20Weaver%20%3cdavidcweaver at gmail.com%3e>>
>> *Cc*: Ed Thelen <ed at ed-thelen.org <Ed%20Thelen%20%3ced at ed-thelen.org%3e>>,
>> Robert Garner <robgarn at mac.com <Robert%20Garner%20%3crobgarn at mac.com%3e>>,
>> Ron Mak <ron.mak at sjsu.edu <Ron%20Mak%20%3cron.mak at sjsu.edu%3e>>, Marc
>> Verdiell <marc.verdiell at gmail.com
>> <Marc%20Verdiell%20%3cmarc.verdiell at gmail.com%3e>>, Ken Shirriff <
>> ken.shirriff at gmail.com <Ken%20Shirriff%20%3cken.shirriff at gmail.com%3e>>,
>> Dag Spicer <dspicer at computerhistory.org
>> <Dag%20Spicer%20%3cdspicer at computerhistory.org%3e>>, Stan Paddock <
>> stpaddock at sbcglobal.net <Stan%20Paddock%20%3cstpaddock at sbcglobal.net%3e>>,
>> Van Snyder <van.snyder at sbcglobal.net
>> <Van%20Snyder%20%3cvan.snyder at sbcglobal.net%3e>>
>> *Subject*: Re: Dick Weaver (was Re: GE-225 Programming Reference Manual
>> *Date*: Wed, 16 Feb 2022 17:47:39 -0800
>>
>> Dave,
>>
>> I’m so sorry to hear that your father, Dick Weaver, has passed. :((
>>
>> Over email exchanges and conversations over the years, Dick took the time
>> to listen to/answer my ill-formed questions and educate me about the
>> history of unit record computing, particularly how best to describe it.
>>
>> He was an inimitable (and sought after/appreciated!) editor of my
>> attempts to interpret and write about early unit-record computing history.
>> He always had something incisive to say. (The unit record machines
>> were/are not easy to understand.)
>> I’d be happy to forward some or all of his email exchanges with me if
>> you’re interested.)
>>
>> I’ll never forget visiting his home in Cupertino: Every wall in every
>> room was lined with filled bookcases!
>> His huge inventory was primarily focused on computing and physics it
>> seemed.
>> (I believe he had hopes of opening a used book store someday.
>> It’s all right that the Internet Archive now has them.)
>> I still have a pair of unit record encyclopedic tomes that he lent to me.
>>
>> With his wry sense of humor, he referred me to a small book of funny
>> essays titled
>> “A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown and Other Essays for a
>> Scientific Age.”
>> Some of the essays would come across as socially ill-advised in this day
>> and age.
>> The “Univac to Univac” essay is cute.
>>
>> He also gave me a 1950 Tektronix 513 Oscilloscope (a follow-on Tek’s very
>> 1st product, the 511).
>> https://vintagetek.org/513-oscilloscope/
>> It’s currently in storage, awaiting restoration someday.
>> (If you’re interested in it, please me know.)
>>
>> I/we look forward to meeting you.
>> I’d like to cordially invite you to a 1401 demo some Saturday, 11am.
>> (The CHM is just reopening weekends, beginning this Saturday.)
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> - Robert
>>
>> p.s. We also look forward to checking out your selection of his books
>> that you retained.
>>
>> On Feb 10, 2022, at 7:09 PM, Dave Weaver <davidcweaver at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Thank you, Ed. Honestly, it’s great to connect with people who knew him,
>> or knew of him. I wish we had been in touch a month ago before the books
>> were donated.
>>
>> Yeah, the IA doesn’t return donations. I’m really looking forward to
>> seeing everything online.
>>
>> Great 1401 page, especially this gem!
>>
>> http://ibm-1401.info/WeaverD-.jpg
>>
>> Much of what I retained is in boxes. I’m happy to let good folks like
>> y'all have a look once it’s more accessible.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Dave
>>
>> On Feb 10, 2022, at 4:57 PM, ed ed-thelen.org <ed at ed-thelen.org> wrote:
>>
>> I'm sorry to hear of Dick's death -
>> not just words
>>
>> Robert had mentioned the house full of books
>> and that Dick Weaver was quite a character -
>>
>> Maybe twenty years ago I had borrowed
>> actually had permission !!
>> a book from the Computer History Museum
>> likely this one or definitely one of this series
>> http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/BRL.html
>>
>> I thought that it should be scanned by Internet Archive
>> and presented as .pdf there -
>> (At the time, most folks had dial-up modems and
>> I was also going to OCR it, and others,
>> with the slow modems.)
>> My telephone contact with Internet Archive
>> said that anything they scanned, they retained.
>> Two things:
>> a) The book wasn't mine to donate
>> b) many major scanners at the time
>> - cut off the bindings
>> - scanned the flat sheets
>> - trashed the binding and sheets
>> c) my begging and pleading resulted in surly responses.
>>
>> I have no idea what they do now -
>> At one time I was thinking of volunteering at Internet Archive
>> but it is near the Presidio in San Francisco
>> and a difficult commute from my home in Fremont.
>>
>> > I did hang onto a few bookcases of “treasures?” partially pictured
>> below.
>>
>> Great !! I imagine Robert Garner
>> http://ibm-1401.info/TeamBios.html#Garner
>>
>> is drooling at the prospect of visiting you
>> and viewing the goodies.
>>
>> > Are you local?
>>
>> Fremont CA,
>> Have "kids" residing in Willow Glenn ,S.J.
>> and Mountain View
>> Also I'm sure we could arrange some drop-off, pick-up
>> with the Computer History Museum.
>>
>> > I’m in Scotts Valley and much better at dropping things off personally
>> vs. packaging things up to mail.
>>
>> Yeah !! I'm that way also !! :--(( ;--))
>>
>> Thanks much
>> -Ed Thelen
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> *From:* Dave Weaver <davidcweaver at gmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, February 10, 2022 4:14 PM
>> *To:* ed ed-thelen.org <ed at ed-thelen.org>
>> *Cc:* Robert Garner <robgarn at mac.com>
>> *Subject:* Re: GE-225 Programming Reference Manual
>>
>> Hi Ed,
>>
>> Yes, this is the same Dick Weaver. I wish we had connected sooner. The
>> vast majority of his collection was donated to the Internet Archive who
>> will scan everything into an online collection named for my dad. No ETA on
>> that task as we donated 750 boxes of books and docs. I did hang onto a few
>> bookcases of “treasures?” partially pictured below.
>>
>> You are welcome to the 225 manual, just let me know how to get it to
>> you. Are you local? I’m in Scotts Valley and much better at dropping
>> things off personally vs. packaging things up to mail.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Dave
>>
>> <IMG_3090.jpeg><IMG_3091.jpeg>
>>
>> On Feb 10, 2022, at 3:02 PM, ed ed-thelen.org <ed at ed-thelen.org> wrote:
>>
>> > My dad, Dick Weaver, passed away in October. Do you have any idea is
>> anyone would be interested in this?
>>
>> BitSavers
>> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ge/GE-2xx/
>> has two versions -
>>
>> I don't have any,
>> I would like that manual as a souvenir,
>> and if BitSavers doesn't have that particular version,
>> I will be delighted to scan it for Al Kossow for
>> presentation on his web site :--))
>>
>> Is this the Dick Weaver of Silicon Valley
>> with a house full of old books ???
>> If so, several people are VERY Interested
>> in looking for special and unique documents !!!!!!
>>
>> I'm CCing one of those people
>>
>> -Ed Thelen
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* Dave Weaver <davidcweaver at gmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, February 10, 2022 2:49 PM
>> *To:* ed ed-thelen.org <ed at ed-thelen.org>
>> *Subject:* GE-225 Programming Reference Manual
>>
>> Hi Ed,
>>
>> My dad, Dick Weaver, passed away in October. Do you have any idea is
>> anyone would be interested in this?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Dave
>>
>> <IMG_3088 2.jpeg><IMG_3089.jpeg>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mailman.j3-fortran.org/pipermail/j3/attachments/20220217/951aaeb2/attachment-0001.htm>
More information about the J3
mailing list