Artifact Details

Title

Guide to the Peter R. Jennings papers

Catalog Number

102776089

Type

Document

Description

The Peter R. Jennings papers consist of business records, financial documentation, legal correspondence, published manuals and documentation, software, and a small amount of audio-visual material.

Much of the collection consists of business records from companies that Jennings founded, including Micro-Ware, Personal Software, and VisiCorp, ranging in date from 1976 to 1985. Types of documentation include internal memos, internal and external correspondence, communication with shareholders, board of director meeting minutes, trademark registration documents, and administrative and staffing records. There are also materials pertaining to company strategy, such as market research reports and business plans. Other records include financial statements, quarterly reports, stock option and offering information, legal agreements regarding licensing and distribution, newspaper and article clippings, and notebooks belonging to Peter and Jane Jennings. There is information on the merger of VisiCorp and Paladin, as well as records from the lawsuit and settlement between VisiCorp and Software Arts. While most of these records pertain to Personal Software and VisiCorp, materials related to Microchess and Micro-Ware are scattered throughout the collection.

A smaller portion of the collection relates to companies that Jennings worked with, in roles ranging from chairman to board member to investor. This section consists primarily of shareholder documentation, since Jennings became an investor in a number of technology companies. Other types of documentation include business plans and board minutes. Companies represented in this section of the collection include Gavilan, Vivid Systems, Vasona, Personics Corporation, Datawatch, Cosmos Computer Corporation, CrystalVision, Quantum Magnetics, Apple, Objective Software, AZ Technology, Associated Venture Investors (AVI), and j.com.

Published documentation, such as books and manuals, comprises another significant portion of the collection. Examples of materials include manuals and textbooks about programming and programs on the Apple Macintosh, programming in UNIX, and documentation that accompanied hardware and software. There is also a box of material related to Forth, such as newsletters, manuals, and FORML proceedings, as well as PEAC documentation. There are also resources for personnel relations and management, including topics such as compensation guidelines, industry salary surveys, policy handbooks from other companies, and management and hiring workbooks. A small amount of audiovisual materials, such as VHS tapes of product demos and shareholder meetings, are scattered throughout.

Finally, about a quarter of the collection consists of software. There are approximately 600 3 ½ inch floppies and 120 5 ¼ inch floppies, most of which are commercial programs for Apple II, Mac, and IBM PC. In addition, there are several boxes of packaged software.

Date

1974-2005

Author

Jennings, Peter R.

Extent

33.5 linear feet in 22 record cartons, 5 software boxes, and 3 periodical boxes

Category

Finding Aid

Subject

computer chess; KIM-1 (Computer)—Programming; Apple II (Computer)--Programming; Microchess; VisiCalc (Computer program)

Collection Title

Peter R. Jennings papers

Credit

Gift of Peter Jennings

Lot Number

X7876.2017