15 Jun
2011
15 Jun
'11
6:35 a.m.
Hollerith founded one of IBM's antecedent
companies in 1896, **in the United
States**. ?Specifically, in Washington, DC. ? Hollerith was of German
descent, but was born in Buffalo, NY, and was decidedly American.
And most of those machines from the interwar years were engineered in
Endicott, NY.
I do not think the German use of unit record equipment was all that
important. When IBM severed ties, the Germans ran out of spare parts
quickly, and apparently made no real attempt to self supply them.
There are just-postwar reports - probably from the Operation Paperclip
and/or EEIS guys - of seeing lots of busted card machines left outside
in the rain, for lack of spare parts.
--
Will