364:. IBM would instead focus their funding on Columbia, and Eckert's laboratory was named Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory. Eckert understood the significance of his laboratory, keenly aware of the advantage of scientific calculations performed without human interventions for long stretches of computation. A massive machine built to Eckert's specifications was built and installed behind glass at IBM's headquarters on
433:, Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory, Columbia University, International Business Machines. McGraw-Hill, 1955- An account for the layman. Says multiplying 1,000 pairs of ten digit numbers would take a week by hand, and could be done by an "electronic supercalculator" (of the day!) in one second.
302:
had been raging in Europe for many months. The US had not yet officially joined the effort to defeat Hitler. Nonetheless, the demand for navigation tables had risen. This demand helped inspire Eckert to automate the process of creating these tables, using punched card equipment. The 1941 almanac was
270:
for a donation of newly developed IBM 601 calculating punch, which could multiply instead of just adding and subtracting. In 1937 the facility was named the Thomas J. Watson
Astronomical Computing Bureau. IBM support included customer service and hardware circuit modifications needed to tabulate
271:
numbers, create mathematical tables, add, subtract, multiply, reproduce, verify, create tables of differences, create tables of logarithms and perform
Lagrangian interpolation, all to solve differential equations for astronomical applications. In January 1940, Eckert published
347:
organized a punched-card solution, proving its effectiveness for physics research. John von
Neumann and others were aware of this "computing by punched cards". That helped them develop wholly electronic electronic solutions which helped pave the way for modern computers.
387:
became the next PhD to be hired by IBM in 1949, he was offered a position with Eckert, but instead founded the
Applied Science Department, and later directed the development of IBM's first commercial stored program computer (the
372:, it was used as a calculating device with some success, but served even better as a recruiting tool. Eckert published a description of the SSEC in November 1948.
183:, where they raised their four sons on a farm in Albion, PA. Wallace graduated from Albion High School in a class of six boys and eight girls. He graduated from
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in his computer; developing the
Improved Lunar Ephemeris; and performing the first numerical integration to compute an ephemeris for the outer planets.
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of that time operated by human "computers," mostly wives of the scientists. Mitchell suggested using IBM machines like his colleague Eckert.
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640:, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
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located in
Columbia's Rutherford Laboratory to perform more than simple statistical calculations. Eckert arranged with IBM president
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283:, using the IBM electric tabulating machines, based on the punched card. This slim book is only 136 pages, including the index.
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As an employee of IBM, Eckert directed one of the first industrial research laboratories in the country. In 1945 he hired
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In this period he continued his innovative contributions to computational astronomy by implementing Brown's
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on June 19, 1902. Shortly thereafter, his parents John and Anna
Margaret (née Heil) Eckert moved to
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Faster, Faster - A Simple
Description of a Giant Electronic Calculator, and the Problems it Solves
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as the next two IBM research scientists, who both made significant contributions. When
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After the war Eckert moved back to
Columbia. Watson had just had a falling out with
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He married
Dorothy Woodworth Applegate in 1932. They raised three children, Alice,
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392:) based on the demand demonstrated by applications such as those of Eckert.
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556:. Taylor & Francis for IEEE Computer Society Press. pp. 276–277.
737:"Computing & Computers: Weapons Simulation Leads to the Computer Era"
369:
389:
335:. By 1943 the laborious simulation calculations used electromechanical
320:
779:
The Maverick and His Machine: Thomas Watson, Sr. and the Making of IBM
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became directory of the Columbia laboratory while Eckert was at USNO.
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the first to be produced using automated equipment, down to the final
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Includes photographs, references, bibliography, and publication list.
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159:, who directed the Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau at
866:"L.H. Thomas and Wallace Eckert in Watson Lab, Columbia University"
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406:(with a new building completed in 1961) where it is known as the
263:
164:
990:
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Francis H. Harlow; Nicholas Metropolis (Winter–Spring 1983).
1008:
224:
He was not related to another computer pioneer of the time,
609:"Dr. Wallace Eckert Dies at 69; Tracked Moon with Computer"
472:
The IBM Watson Laboratory at Columbia University: A History
554:
International biographical dictionary of computer pioneers
870:
A Chronology of Computing at Columbia University web site
840:
A Chronology of Computing at Columbia University web site
681:
A Chronology of Computing at Columbia University web site
706:"History of the Astronomical Applications Department"
480:
Building IBM: Shaping and Industry and Its Technology
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was Eckert's immediate successor as director of the
836:"Herb Grosch September 13, 1918 – January 25, 2010"
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120:
110:
90:
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72:
60:
39:
32:
155:(June 19, 1902 – August 24, 1971) was an American
991:Oral history interview with Martin Schwarzschild
583:A Chronology of Computing at Columbia University
254:Solution of differential equations for astronomy
273:Punched Card Methods in Scientific Computation
922:"Watson Research Center,Yorktown Heights, NY"
275:, which solved the problem of predicting the
8:
510:The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers
258:Around 1933 Eckert proposed interconnecting
163:which evolved into the research division of
951:United States National Academy of Sciences
235:just before his death August 24, 1971, in
29:
997:, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
782:. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 347–355.
323:professor Dana P. Mitchell served in the
1003:Watson Scientific Computation Laboratory
370:Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator
1030:MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
1015:, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
976:"Columbia University Computing History"
607:Freeman, William M. (August 25, 1971).
499:
448:IBM Electromatic Table Printing Machine
291:In 1940, Eckert became director of the
543:
541:
7:
896:"An Interview with Cuthbert C. Hurd"
1009:Wallace J. Eckert Papers, 1931-1975
677:"The US Naval Observatory 1940-45"
25:
651:"Endicott chronology — 1931-1939"
198:in 1926, and earned his PhD from
894:Nancy Stern (January 20, 1981).
408:Thomas J. Watson Research Center
402:In 1957 the Watson lab moved to
416:US National Academy of Sciences
293:United States Naval Observatory
187:in 1925, and earned an MA from
129:United States Naval Observatory
803:W. J. Eckert (November 1948).
368:in January 1948. Known as the
333:Los Alamos National Laboratory
1:
1045:Mathematics Genealogy Project
710:US Naval Observatory web site
579:"Professor Wallace J. Eckert"
1075:Columbia University faculty
805:"Electrons and Computation"
470:Brennan, Jean Ford (1971).
1091:
947:"James Craig Watson Medal"
404:Yorktown Heights, New York
231:He attended the launch of
1013:Charles Babbage Institute
995:Charles Babbage Institute
902:, University of Minnesota
900:Charles Babbage Institute
766:Dyson, Turing's Cathedral
478:Pugh, Emerson W. (1995).
262:tabulating machines from
250:, is named in his honor.
181:Erie County, Pennsylvania
146:
103:
1035:University of St Andrews
412:James Craig Watson Medal
95:James Craig Watson Medal
54:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1005:at Columbia University.
548:John A. N. Lee (1995).
507:Hockey, Thomas (2009).
194:He started teaching at
810:The Scientific Monthly
362:project IBM had funded
327:(developing the first
1025:"Wallace John Eckert"
926:IBM Research web site
655:IBM archives web site
1070:American astronomers
1021:Robertson, Edmund F.
776:Kevin Maney (2004).
453:List of IBM products
309:Martin Schwarzschild
208:Ernest William Brown
141:Ernest William Brown
85:Scientific computing
1041:Wallace John Eckert
1019:O'Connor, John J.;
874:Columbia University
844:Columbia University
685:Columbia University
587:Columbia University
550:"Wallace J. Eckert"
515:Springer Publishing
341:Nicholas Metropolis
196:Columbia University
175:Eckert was born in
161:Columbia University
153:Wallace John Eckert
125:Columbia University
34:Wallace John Eckert
27:American astronomer
748:. pp. 133–134
745:Los Alamos Science
474:. IBM. p. 68.
358:Harvard University
789:978-0-471-67925-7
563:978-1-884964-47-3
524:978-0-387-31022-0
488:978-0-262-16147-3
414:in 1966 from the
410:. Eckert won the
352:Watson laboratory
325:Manhattan Project
315:Manhattan Project
246:, located within
226:J. Presper Eckert
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105:Scientific career
16:(Redirected from
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297:Washington, D.C.
268:Thomas J. Watson
206:under Professor
136:Doctoral advisor
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464:Further reading
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429:. Written with
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345:Richard Feynman
329:nuclear weapons
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189:Amherst College
185:Oberlin College
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979:. Retrieved
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714:the original
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397:Lunar theory
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260:punched card
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248:Mare Crisium
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121:Institutions
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66:(1971-08-24)
18:W. J. Eckert
1065:1971 deaths
1060:1902 births
620:February 2,
377:Herb Grosch
337:calculators
305:typesetting
202:in 1931 in
73:Nationality
1054:Categories
530:August 22,
495:References
237:New Jersey
177:Pittsburgh
157:astronomer
46:1902-06-19
319:Columbia
233:Apollo 14
204:astronomy
191:in 1926.
115:Astronomy
437:See also
242:A lunar
219:Penelope
76:American
1043:at the
981:June 4,
956:June 4,
931:June 4,
906:June 4,
879:June 4,
849:June 4,
752:June 4,
720:June 4,
690:June 4,
660:June 4,
627:Alt URL
592:June 4,
390:IBM 701
360:over a
321:Physics
281:planets
279:of the
817:
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638:Eckert
560:
521:
486:
422:Author
277:orbits
244:crater
111:Fields
98:(1966)
91:Awards
740:(PDF)
331:) at
983:2010
958:2010
933:2010
908:2010
881:2010
851:2010
815:ISBN
784:ISBN
754:2010
722:2010
692:2010
662:2010
622:2013
594:2010
558:ISBN
532:2012
519:ISBN
484:ISBN
379:and
343:and
217:and
215:John
200:Yale
171:Life
61:Died
40:Born
993:.
295:in
264:IBM
165:IBM
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.