Hollerith's tabulating device completed the twelfth census in six weeks, a fraction of the time that it took to complete the previous census. By decreasing the number of man hours necessary to complete the census, Hollerith saved the Census Bureau approximately $5,000,000, which was ten times more than even he estimated.2 Hollerith's success in the U.S. allowed him to expand to commericials markets -- mainly the railroad -- and markets abroad -- including Russia, Canada, and Norway.
|
In 1890 Hollerith founded a company called the Tabulating Machine Company. In 1911, his company merged with two other companies to create the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. Under the direction of Thomas Watson, Sr, CTR would change its name in 1924 to International Business Machines. Hollerith's machine would provide the basis for IBM's success and make him the father of information processing. |
Introduction | Hollerith finds employment with the Census Bureau | The Influence of Dr. Billings | The Jacquard Loom | Hollerith's First Design | Advantages of Hollerith's Device | Hollerith Cards | Modifactions to Hollerith's Device | Field Testing | The Problem of the Census | The Evolution of Hollerith's System | The TwelfthCensus | Hollerith's Success | Resources