CDC/CDA LOGO From John O'Neil
The 'dot-double arrow-dash' logo in the top RH corner of this page was the original CDC logo. The dot and dash represented data, (as in Morse code), and the double arrow represented control. It was used on tie clips that were presented to new employees in the 60s and 70s and the colour of the stone represented the number of years service (see photo) You may also recall the black and white Control, Data.Corporation rectangular logo, used on equipment name plates, boxes etc. The Control Data Australia Pty Ltd one on this web site is a modification of the Corporate one.
CONDATA From Ron Bird
From Ron Bird
When Control Data first started operations in Australia it used the name "CONDATA". The reason was that Ron Jelbart (Kim's father) had earlier registered the name DATA CONTROL with the company registration people and they had a problem with the two names similarity. This was resolved in 1963. However, CONDATA was retained as the Control Data Australia Telex address.
E L HEYMANSON From Trevor Robinson
The passing of Bill Norris brings to mind an incident worth sharing:
E.L.Heymanson & Co. Pty. Ltd. was appointed CDC distributor for Australia and NZ wef 1 January 1962.
The Australian subsidiary was formed on 17 May 1963 and "orders" for 2 x 3600's and 10 x 3200's were received on 19th June 1963 for the Bureau of Census and Statistics and CSIRO. This business ($US7, 000,000 plus) was big even by US standards.
I was summoned to Minneapolis and soon found myself in Mr Norris's office with four or five CDC lawyers and contract people who were telling Bill, quite correctly, that these were not orders but at this stage just an invitation to enter into contracts which, if signed, would become orders.
The obligation on CDC to pay Heymanson its commission (about $US360, 000 - a lot of money in 1963!) would end on 18 August 1963 and Mr Norris was being told that there was no way the contracts would be finalised by then so Control Data wouldn't have to pay Heymanson's. Bill looked at me and said: "Trevor, what do you think?"
I remember replying something to the effect that Heymanson's had done a good job and I thought they should be paid. Without any hesitation Bill Norris made his decision: "That's right; old Mr Heymanson (as he pronounced it) has done his job and we're going to pay him". And CDC did indeed pay Heymanson's even though they could have sniveled out of it. That was the measure of the man - Bill Norris had principles and it showed in the way Control Data operated.
THE SUPERMEN
Anyone interested in Seymour Cray and in the early history of CDA will enjoy an excellent account in a book: "The Supermen", author Charles J Murray, published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. in 1997, ISBN 0-471-04885-2. My copy came from Amazon.
Regards, Trevor Robinson.