The Computer Conservation Society (CCS) says it will devote its meeting at the Science Museum on September 11 to a tribute to David Caminer, the inventor of systems engineering, who died, aged 92 in June.
Caminer led the software side of the team that developed the world’s first business computer for J Lyons & Co, alongside John Pinkerton and his engineers who built the hardware.
Lyons was the first to see the business potential of the machines that came out of the military applications of World War II and science labs. Its LEO (Lyons Electronic Office) ran the first business application, a bakeries’ valuation job, in November 1951.
Several of Caminer’s colleagues, who had stellar careers in computing, are due to speak at the CCS meeting under chair Peter Hermon, who went from LEO to Dunlop and the board of British Airways.
Frank Land will talk about the early years with Lyons, LEO and English Electric Computers, while Mike Forrest will pick up the story with ICL.
Ninian Eadie and Gilbert Foix will address Caminer’s contribution to major projects at the UK Post Office and the European Union in Luxembourg. And John Aris will lead a debate on Caminer’s systems design principles and their relevance to business applications today.
The meeting, which is free to all, runs in the Fellows Library of the Science Museum in Exhibition Road, London (2pm for 2.30pm start).
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