Control Data Corporation Records

William C. Norris Executive Papers,

1946-1995

CBI 80

Series 9

 

Collection Size: 28.5 cubic ft. (34 boxes)

Creator: Norris, William C., 1911-

Prepared By: Caroline Gasser and Kevin D. Corbitt, April 1998; Maria Plonski, Josh Knatterud-Hubinger, and Amanda Schwarze, 2003-2004. Updated by Karen Spilman, 2006.

Acquisition: The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Ceridian Corporation in 1991 and by William C. Norris in 2001-2002.

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, William C. Norris Executive Papers (CBI 80), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.


Historical Note

In June 1957, William C. Norris left his position as vice president and general manager at Sperry Rand-Univac and joined others to form the Control Data Corporation (CDC). Norris served as president of the company from June 1957 until he retired in 1986. Norris retained a position on the Board of Directors of CDC until 1991.

During his time as president of CDC, Norris became interested in a variety of causes and business ventures, such as corporate social responsibility, computer-based education and PLATO, economic development and job creation, and U.S. trade and technology transfer with the Soviet Union and Japan.


Scope and Content Note

This series documents William C. Norris’ tenure as President and CEO of Control Data Corporation (1957-1986). More information about Norris' work at the company, as well as information about his post-retirement activities and writings, can be found in the files of Albert Eisele in the Executive Papers (Series 8) of the Control Data Corporation Records. Eisele served as an assistant and consultant to Norris. Norris' work at CDC and his professional activities were closely related; researchers should use the William C. Norris Executive Papers in conjunction with the William C. Norris Papers (CBI 164).

The materials are divided into the following groups: correspondence, dayfiles, interviews, newsclippings, subject files, talks and writings, and scrapbooks. The subject files make up the bulk of the collection and contain a variety of materials, including correspondence, speeches, writings, notes, and clippings. Norris' subject files were created as a set of alphabetical files, a set of files organized by folder number, and a separate set of files for each of the following subjects: CBE, PLATO and Technology Education; East-West Trade, Soviet Union; and Jamaica. These sets of files include overlapping coverage for many subjects. For example, materials on Jamaica will be found in the folder number subject files under Jamaica as well as in the separate set of subject files on Jamaica.

Acronyms used in this finding aid:

BTC = Business and Technology Centers

CBE = Computer-Based Education

CDC = Control Data Corporation

MBP = Minnesota Business Partnership

MCC = Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation

MFFI = Minnesota Family Farm Institute

MTDI = Midwest Technology Development Institute


Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence

Dayfiles

News Clippings, Magazine Artilces and Reprints

Subject Files

Alphabetical
Folder Number
CBE, PLATO & Technology Education
East-West Trade, Soviet Union
Jamaica

Speeches, Interviews and Writings

Scrapbooks


Related Materials

CBI 164, William C. Norris Papers


Index Terms

Norris, William C., 1911-

Chief executive officers -- United States -- Biography.

Computer-assisted instruction.

Computer managed instruction.

Consolidation and merger of corporations -- United States -- Prevention.

Control Data Corporation.

East-West trade.

PLATO (Electronic computer system).

Technology transfer.

United States -- Foreign economic relations -- Japan.

United States -- Foreign economic relations -- Soviet Union.


Box and Folder List

Correspondence (Alphabetical)

Correspondence files organized alphabetically by the last name of the correspondent or the name of a company or organization. Letters A-D, K-Z (with exception of Mc) are missing. Other Norris correspondence can be found in Norris’ dayfiles and scattered throughout his subject files.

Dayfiles, 1957-1990

News Clippings, Magazine Articles and Reprints, 1959-1995

Subject Files

The subject files reflect Norris' duties as President of CDC, as well as his interest in and concern for various CDC-related projects and topics, such as computer-based education and PLATO, hostile takeovers, foreign trade and technology transfer (Soviet Union and Japan), and corporate social responsibility. The subject files also reflect his involvement in and, in many cases, founding of various local, regional, and national organizations such as Minnesota Business Partnership (MBP), Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC), Minnesota Family Farm Institute (MFFI), Midwest Technology Development Institute (MTDI), and Minnesota Wellspring.

Subject Files: Sorted Alphabetically, 1946-1992

  • Telex, 1957 (Box 34, folder 9)
  • Ticketron, 1969 (Box 9, folder 20)
  • Tribus, Myron, 1981 (Box 9, folder 21)
  • U.S. vs. IBM, relief, 1972-1973 (Box 9, folder 22)
  • Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), 1972, 1975 (Box 9, folder 23)
  • Union Bank of Switzerland, Project Audit, 1974 (Box 9, folder 24)
  • United Kingdom Trip, 1980 (Box 9, folder 25)
  • Value of a Job, Task Force, 1980 (Box 9, folder 26)
  • Washington D.C., Meetings, 1978, 1980 (Box 12, folder 16)
  • The White House Conference on Small Business (January 13-17, 1980), 1979-1980 (Box 9, folder 27)
  • WORLDTECH, 1977-1983 (Box 9, folder 28-29)
  • WORLDTECH, Gellman Research Associates, Inc. Reports and Correspondence, 1981-1986 (Box 9, folder 30)
  • Youth Unemployment, Technology, 1977-1980 (Box 9, folder 31)
  • Subject Files (arranged by folder number), 1957-1983

    Subject Files: CBE, PLATO and Technology Education

    Subject Files: East-West Trade, Soviet Union

    Subject Files: Jamaica

    Most material in the Jamaica subject files reflect Norris’ position as chair of the Small/Medium Business and Industry Subcommittee of the U.S. Business Committee on Jamaica, starting in 1981 through the mid-1980s. Within Norris’ subcommittee there are a number of industry task forces. Correspondence with Robert C. Chinn (CDC) and David Rockefeller, Committee Chairman is included. These records also include information about CDC-Jamaica joint ventures in Computer-Based Education (CBE) and PLATO, and agriculture (Rural Ventures-Jamaica). See also Executive Papers, Robert C. Chinn subject files on Jamaica.

    Speeches, Interviews and Writings 1960-1986

    Materials are arranged in chronological order.

    Scrapbooks, 1955-1968

    Photocopies of two scrapbooks containing newsclippings, correspondence and reports related to the formation and activities of Control Data Corporation from 1955 to 1968 compiled by or for William C. Norris. Location of original scrapbooks is unknown.

    William C. Norris Scrapbook One

    William C. Norris Scrapbook Two