Control Data Corporation Records

Acquisitions, Subsidiaries, and Joint Ventures,
1951-1991

CBI 80

Series 1

Collection Size: 17.5 cubic ft. (39 boxes)

Creator: Control Data Corporation

Prepared by: Maria Plonski, Amanda Schwarze and Carrie Seib, 2003-2004. Updated by Karen Spilman, 2006.

Acquisition: The majority of the records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by the Ceridian Corporation in 1991. The C-E-I-R records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute in 1986; portions of the ETA Systems, Inc. records were given by Linda J. Vetter in 1992.

Access: Access to the collection is unrestricted.

Copyright: The Charles Babbage Institute holds the copyright to all materials in the collection, except for items covered by a prior copyright (such as published materials). Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provisions of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Preferred Citation: Control Data Corporation Records, Acquisitions, Subsidiaries, and Joint Ventures (CBI 80), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Historical Note

The Control Data Corporation acquired its first company, Cedar Engineering, in 1958. As part of its pursuit of new technologies and responsibility to satisfy business needs, the company continued to make acquisitions, create subsidiaries, and participate in joint ventures throughout its history.

Acquisitions List

Joint Ventures List

Scope and Content Note

This series includes information on companies acquired by the Control Data Corporation (CDC), subsidiaries of CDC, and joint ventures in which CDC was involved. The materials do not necessarily constitute the official records of transaction, although some files do contain legal documents and agreements. Many of the files are executives' subject files on companies, consisting of a few folders and including background materials on the company as well as CDC acquisition reports and correspondence. More extensive documentation is included for a few companies, such as C-E-I-R, ETA Systems, Inc., and City Venture Corporation. Some general CDC acquisitions files are also included in this series.

The bulk of the materials are from 1951-1991, but there are some documents in the Commercial Credit Corporation files from as early as 1917.

Researchers should consult the Executive Papers series and the Legal Records series for additional information on the Control Data Corporation's acquisitions, subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Arrangement of Collection

Materials are arranged alphabetically by name of company.

Index Terms

Control Data Corporation.

Consolidation and merger of corporations—United States.

Box and Folder List

General Acquisitions Files

Overseas Subsidiaries

Company Files

The Adcomp Corporation manufactured a complete line of high-speed analog-to-digital conversion equipment. It was merged into the La Jolla Division.

The Bendix Corporation (Computer Division) files were compiled from various sources throughout the CDC collection, but they consist mainly of financial files from the Marvin G. Rogers files in the Executive Papers series. Additional materials on the Bendix Corporation can be found in the Frank Mullaney files in the Executive Papers series.

Formerly the Council for Economic and Industrial Research, C-E-I-R, Inc., was incorporated as a non-profit company in 1952. The company was headquartered in Arlington, VA and provided economic and statistical analysis, electronics and communications engineering, and operations research for government and industry. C-E-I-R maintained computer research centers primarily in the U.S. and England. Herbert W. Robinson was president of the firm from 1954 until it was acquired by the Control Data Corporation in 1967.

In 1965, C-E-I-R acquired Automation Institute [of America], Inc. and its franchises. These were the first Data Processing Schools. AI franchises included the Automation Institute of San Francisco, and the Automation Institute Publishing Company, among many others.

C-E-I-R materials consist of a group of subject files, 1954-1970, which contain correspondence, memoranda, reports, planning documents, newsclippings, news releases, quarterly and annual reports, brochures and company literature produced by C-E-I-R. A small portion of the collection relates to the company after it became a division of Control Data Corporation.

Developed and produced systems, which automated the process of program preparation. Eventually became part of the Howard Research Division.

Became first the Control Systems Division of CDC, then the La Jolla Division. Enabled CDC to expand its market in the area of sophisticated computer control systems for industry.

ETA Systems, Inc., was founded as an independent subsidiary of Control Data Corporation in August 1983. The St. Paul firm manufactured supercomputers including the ETA10 that competed with machines built by Cray Research in Chippewa Falls, WI. After financial losses and internal reorganizations, Control Data abruptly closed its subsidiary in April 1989.

ETA Systems materials center on the marketing and publicity for ETA Systems supercomputers and related applications products and include general articles and memoranda relating to the firm's relationship with Control Data Corporation, ETA's reorganizations and its closing.

Manufacturer of computers for the military, space, and special-application markets. Specialized in drum and disk memory equipment.

On April 18, 1962, CDC entered a joint venture with Holley Carburetor Company (Warren, Michigan), as a result of CDC’s interest in Holley's Electro-Mechanical Division. CDC bought the remaining 50% of Holley Computer Products Company in June 1964. It later became known as the Rochester Division.

Bought by CDC in February 1963 name changed to Meiscon Corporation (formerly Meissner Engineers, Inc.), sometimes referred to Meiscon Division. Engaged in the fields of civil engineering and industrial engineering consulting with emphasis on the development of techniques for using computers in automating industrial and highway design procedures.

Files include correspondence, company and project progress reports, planning documents, company history, financial statements and notices of contract awards.

SBC’s name changed to Service Bureau Company on April 1, 1974 to reflect its transition from subsidiary to company status.

Was a wholly-owned subsidiary, but later became a division of CDC. Specialized in the highly technical fields of electrooptics and quantum electronics, microwave, air traffic control, electromechanics, special digital and hybrid computer control and simulation, sonar, and hydrodynamics.