CDC Historical Timeline

 

1957
Control Data Corporation was incorporated in Minnesota, July 8, 1957, by Fremont Fletcher, Abbot L. Fletcher, and D.P. Wassenberg with 600,000 shares of stock sold at $1 per share. The first headquarters were located in the McGill Building, 501 Park Avenue, in downtown Minneapolis. William C. Norris was announced as the president of the company on August 14, 1957. Former Sperry Rand Univac engineers who joined CDC in September 1957: Robert Perkins, William R. Keye, Howard Shekels, Robert Kisch and Seymour Cray. Early CDC Board of Directors members included president William C. Norris, Arnold Ryden, Walter G. Andrews, Robert F. Leach, and Frank C. Mullaney, as well as other early executives: first director of marketing, Willis K. Drake; first public relations director, Allan J. Walsh; James G. Miles, director of engineering services; and Henry S. Forrest, director of government services engineering, Eastern Office (Washington D.C.) manager.

1957
CDC acquires Cedar Engineering.

1958
CDC's "Little Character," 1/10-scale prototype of 1604, is operational. Receives first order for 1604 computer. Sperry Rand sues CDC.

1959
CDC delivers air traffic control display.

1960
CDC Acquires Control Corporation. The 1604 and 160 computers are delivered. The first CDC data center is established in Minneapolis.

1961
The 160A is delivered and the 924 is delivered. A new computing center is established in San Francisco. Company receives $5 million contract for fire control computer for Polaris Submarines. Net sales from annual report = $19,783,745.

1962
The company moves to new a headquarters building in Bloomington, Minnesota. The European office opens in Lucerne, Switzerland. The Polaris computer, the 606 tape transport, and the 166 line printer are delivered. The Sperry Rand lawsuit settled out of court.

1963
The 3600 computer, 603 tape drive, and the 405 card reader are delivered. CDC acquires the Computer Division of Bendix Corporation; Beck's, Inc.; Digigraphic Systems of Itek; and Control Systems Division of Daystrom.

1964
CDC acquires Rabinow Engineering; Transacter business (General Time); Holley Computer Products; Bridge, Inc;, Computer Laboratories, Inc.; Adcomp Corporation; and TRG, Inc.

1965
3100, 6600 delivered. CDC acquires Data Display, Datatrol, Computech, Glenn W. Preston Associates. Production of 160-A and 1604A ceased. Control Data Institutes established. Net sales from annual report = $16,473,162.

1966
The 1700, 3800, and 6400 are delivered. CDC gains a $22.7 million contract from United States Post Office for the Postal Source Data System. Frank Mullaney leaves company.

1967
The 6500 computer delivered. The first foreign Control Data Institute established in Frankfurt. CDC acquires Autocon Industries, C-E-I-R, Inc., and Automatic Control Company.

1968
CDC acquires Commercial Credit Corporation. Cybernet communications network is established. The 449-2 Special Miniature Computer, 200 Remote User Terminal, and SCOPE operating system are delivered. CDC files an antitrust lawsuit against International Business Machines (IBM).

1969

The 3500 and 7600 computers are delivered. CDC acquires Computing Devices of Canada, Precision Data Card, Marshall Communications, Printed Circuits, Inc., and American Business Systems, Inc. CDC acquires partial interest in Ticketron.

1970
Hardware, software, and service prices are unbundled. KRONOS 1.0 operating system offered. Star 100 announced. 3170, 6200, 6700 computers delivered.

1971
The 921 Optical Character Reading machine and the Cyber 70 are delivered.

1972
CDC creates a Committee for Social Responsibility. CDC acquires Syntonic Technology. National Cash REgister (NCR) and CDC establish Computer Peripherals, Inc.

1973
International Business Machines settles with CDC and acquires Service Bureau Corporation as part of settlement. CDC acquires the data services operation from ITT; System Resources; and renames interest in Ticketron. Peripheral Products offers low-cost disk drives. CDC signs a 10-year cooperation agreement with the Soviet Union. Seymour Cray leaves CDC to form Cray Research.

1974
The old CDC logo is retired. CDC acquires Credit Francaise, First Holding, Ltd., and Davidsohn Computer Services. The Star 100 is delivered to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

1975
Technotec data service is established. CDC and Honeywell form Magnetic Peripherals, Inc., and CDC acquires Medlab Computer Services and Compu-Net, Inc.

1976
The 38500 Mass Storage System is delivered and the PLATO computer-based education system is announced. Control Dataset, Ltd., is formed with ICL. CDC joins with the Iranian Government to form Computer Terminals of Iran.

1977
First dividend on CDC common stock declared. Company published its statement on Social Justice. PLATO Systems are implemented at all domestic Control Data Institutes.

1978
Control Data Institutes and learning centers number sixty-nine worldwide. City Venture Corporation formed. William C. Norris named "Upper Midwest Executive of the Year" by Corporate Report.

1980
Cyber 203 and 205 are delivered. Control Data Properties is formed.

1981
The 110 microcomputer is announced. Net sales from annual report = $3,101,300,000

1982
CDC acquires Computer Industries Corporation. Control Data is one of 15 companies establishing the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation in Austin, Texas.

1983
CDC Acquires Medix Schools. The 14" OEM Winchester Drive announced. ETA Systems, Inc., is established and CDC embarks on a joint project with National Cash Register (NCR) to open a CAD center in Santa Clara, California.

1984
CDC Announces plans to phase out its plug compatible-peripheral equipment business and considers sale of Commercial Credit. CDC acquires Communications Solutions, Inc.

1985
CDC sells Syntonic, Electronic Realty Associates, Commtrak, and Landmark Graphics.

1986
William C. Norris retires and Robert Price is named CEO. CDC sells Communications Solutions, Inc., Trinet, Burke Marketing, Multi-Arc, stock in Centronics, and its majority portion of Commercial Credit.

1987
CDC sells its remaining interest in Commercial Credit Corporation. CDC acquires SAMI/Burke and remaining interest in VTC, Inc.

1988
The Data Storage Products group is reorganized under Imprimis Technology, Inc. CDC acquires 20% interest in Silicon Graphics.

1989
Robert Price retires and Lawrence Perlman named CEO. CDC sells VTC, Imprimis, and PLATO. Control Data Institutes in the United States are spun off from the company. ETA Systems closed at a $490 million write-off.

1991
A portion of CDC's corporate archives is donated to the Charles Babbage Institute. CDC acquires MiniData Services, Hazelden Employee Assistance Services, and Barrios Technology.

1992
Control Data Corporation is divided into Ceridian Corporation and Control Data Systems, Inc.

1999
Control Data Systems, Inc., acquired by Syntegra.