Reynold B. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Reynold B. Johnson was an American
inventor and computer pioneer. A long-time employee of IBM
, Johnson is said to be the "father" of the disk drive. Other inventions include automatic test scoring equipment and the videocassette tape.
, Johnson was a graduate of the University of Minnesota
(BS in Educational Administration, 1929).
In the early 1930s, Johnson, then a high school science teacher in Michigan
, invented an electronic test scoring machine that sensed pencil marks on a standardized form. IBM bought the rights to Reynold's invention and hired him as an engineer to work in their Endicott, New York
laboratory. The test scoring machine was sold as the IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine
beginning in 1937.
One of Reynold's early assignments was to develop technology that allowed cards marked with pencil marks to be converted into punched card
s. That allowed punched card data to be recorded by people using only a pencil. That "mark sense
" technology was widely used by businesses in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. For example, the Bell System used mark sense technology to record long distance calls and utility companies used it to record meter readings. The Federal Government used it under the name "electrographic" technology.
In 1952, IBM sent Johnson to San Jose, California
, to set up and manage its West Coast Laboratory. In 1956, a research team led by Johnson developed disk data storage technology, which IBM released as the IBM 305 RAMAC. Although the first disk drive was crude by modern standards, it launched a multibillion dollar industry.
Johnson was working with Sony on another project when he developed the prototype for a half inch videocassette tape. "'Sony was using wider tape on reels. He cut the tape to a half an inch, and put it in a cartridge. The larger tapes weren't easy enough for kids to use, and his interest was in education and building a video textbook for kids,' said [Lou] Stevens" (Spiegelman, 1995).
Johnson retired from IBM in 1971. He obtained more than 90 patents. After his retirement, he developed the microphonograph technology used in the Fisher Price "Talk to Me Books." The Talk to Me Books won a Toy of the Year award. This technology was also used by the Audubon Society to aid bird watchers with songbird identification. He received the National Medal of Technology
from President Ronald Reagan
in 1986.
The IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award
was established in 1991, and is each year presented to a small team or an individual that has made outstanding contributions to information storage systems.
Johnson was awarded the Franklin Institute's Certificate of Merit in 1996.
Johnson died in 1998, at the age of 92, of melanoma
at Palo Alto, California
.
It is noted that the Ampex 196 type- C broadcast video product shown in our pictures was the development of Lawrence Graubart retired (1990) Director of Applied Technology for the Ampex Magnetic Media Corporation. Lawrence, a native of San Francisco and a Chemical Engineering graduate of the University of California-Berkeley, was Video Products Development manager at the time in 1983. Graubart worked for Ampex 30 years and developed the first Ampex 2" Quad video tape product, 175, for Ampex in 1963.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor and computer pioneer. A long-time employee of IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Johnson is said to be the "father" of the disk drive. Other inventions include automatic test scoring equipment and the videocassette tape.
Biography
A native of MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Johnson was a graduate of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
(BS in Educational Administration, 1929).
In the early 1930s, Johnson, then a high school science teacher in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, invented an electronic test scoring machine that sensed pencil marks on a standardized form. IBM bought the rights to Reynold's invention and hired him as an engineer to work in their Endicott, New York
Endicott, New York
Endicott is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 13,038 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village is named after Henry B...
laboratory. The test scoring machine was sold as the IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine
IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine
The IBM 805 Test Scoring Machine was a machine sold by IBM beginning in 1937. The device scored answer sheets marked with special "mark sense" pencils. The machine was developed from a prototype developed by Reynold Johnson, a school teacher who later became an IBM engineer...
beginning in 1937.
One of Reynold's early assignments was to develop technology that allowed cards marked with pencil marks to be converted into punched card
Punched card
A punched card, punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions...
s. That allowed punched card data to be recorded by people using only a pencil. That "mark sense
Mark sense
Electrographic is a term used for punched card and page scanning technology that allowed cards or pages marked with a pencil to be processed or converted into punched cards. That technology was sold by IBM, its developer, under the term mark sense...
" technology was widely used by businesses in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. For example, the Bell System used mark sense technology to record long distance calls and utility companies used it to record meter readings. The Federal Government used it under the name "electrographic" technology.
In 1952, IBM sent Johnson to San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, to set up and manage its West Coast Laboratory. In 1956, a research team led by Johnson developed disk data storage technology, which IBM released as the IBM 305 RAMAC. Although the first disk drive was crude by modern standards, it launched a multibillion dollar industry.
Johnson was working with Sony on another project when he developed the prototype for a half inch videocassette tape. "'Sony was using wider tape on reels. He cut the tape to a half an inch, and put it in a cartridge. The larger tapes weren't easy enough for kids to use, and his interest was in education and building a video textbook for kids,' said [Lou] Stevens" (Spiegelman, 1995).
Johnson retired from IBM in 1971. He obtained more than 90 patents. After his retirement, he developed the microphonograph technology used in the Fisher Price "Talk to Me Books." The Talk to Me Books won a Toy of the Year award. This technology was also used by the Audubon Society to aid bird watchers with songbird identification. He received the National Medal of Technology
National Medal of Technology
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development of new and important technology...
from President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 1986.
The IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award
IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award
The IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award is a Technical Field Award of the IEEE given each year to an individual, multiple recipients, or team up to three in number that has made outstanding contributions to information storage systems. The award is named in honor of Reynold...
was established in 1991, and is each year presented to a small team or an individual that has made outstanding contributions to information storage systems.
Johnson was awarded the Franklin Institute's Certificate of Merit in 1996.
Johnson died in 1998, at the age of 92, of melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
at Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
.
It is noted that the Ampex 196 type- C broadcast video product shown in our pictures was the development of Lawrence Graubart retired (1990) Director of Applied Technology for the Ampex Magnetic Media Corporation. Lawrence, a native of San Francisco and a Chemical Engineering graduate of the University of California-Berkeley, was Video Products Development manager at the time in 1983. Graubart worked for Ampex 30 years and developed the first Ampex 2" Quad video tape product, 175, for Ampex in 1963.
Further reading
- Lundstrom, Mack. "Reynold, father of disk drive, dies at 92." Sam Jose Mercury News. September 17, 1998. Pg. 1A.
- "R.B. Johnson Dies; Disk Drive Inventor." Washington Post. September 20, 1998. Pg. B06.
- Spiegelman, Lisa. "Inventor Rey Johnson: creating a solution by first understanding the problem." Investors Business Daily. May 23, 1995. Pg. 1.