[J3] Fwd: Re: Dick Weaver (was Re: GE-225 Programming Reference Manual

Fri Feb 18 00:03:57 UTC 2022

I too fondly remember Dick. I always enjoyed conversations with as he a lot
to offer.

I often quoted Weaver’s Law with my teams every time it was proven true.

Rich Kelble

On Thu, Feb 17, 2022 at 6:13 PM Dick Hendrickson via J3 <
j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:

> 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>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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