Reynold B. (Rey) Johnson's papers are comprised of International Business Machines (IBM) company documents, newspaper clippings, project ideas and drawings, and photographs from his thirty-seven years with IBM. Of particular note is Johnson's involvement in the development of magnetic disk storage during the 1950s.
Biographical Note:
Rey Johnson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in education. While teaching high school science in Michigan, Johnson developed a machine to electronically grade multiple-choice tests taken in pencil. He sold the idea to IBM in 1934 and took a job as a senior engineer at their Endicott, NY laboratory where he worked on projects involving punch cards.
In 1952, IBM sent Johnson to San Jose, CA to set up a West Coast laboratory. Johnson and the San Jose team developed magnetic disk storage, which was marketed as the IBM 305 RAMAC in 1956. Johnson retired from IBM in 1971. Johnson had more than 90 patents to his name.
Scope and Content Note:
Rey (Reynold B.) Johnson’s papers are comprised of IBM company documents, newspaper clippings, project ideas and drawings, and photographs. The first series is Corporate and consists of papers and publications relating to IBM such as staff listings, internal news, and programs from company dinners. This series contains several issues of Tabulating Pointers, which detailed tips and tricks for accounting punch card machines, from the early 1930s. The second series is Johnson’s Personal Papers containing personal correspondence, news clippings, speeches, and accolades. The third series focuses on Johnson’s Inventions and Projects. There are two folders of mostly hand-written project ideas and drawings, as well as a transcript of an interview concerning his test scoring machine.
Loose pages (probably from a three-ring binder) showing pictures and short descriptions of products such as Document to Card Punch, card sorter, clocks, and key punch
Program from a Luncheon in Honor of His Excellency the Honorable Warren R. Austin Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations and Mrs. Warren R. Austin, Given by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Watson, November 13, 1949, The Waldorf-Astoria, new York, NY
San Jose Awards Dinner (1971-02-25); XII Annual Watson Throphy Dinner, November Tenth MCMLXII; Annual Awards Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, May 21, 1968
