The John P. Imlay papers consist of materials reflecting changes in the software industry during the 1970s and 1980s, specifically within the software company Imlay led from 1971 through 1989, Management Science America, Inc. (MSA). This collection shows the progression of a small business based in Atlanta, Georgia, growing into an international corporation valued at $333 million when it was sold in 1989. The collection also shows how MSA’s software products changed during its lifetime, initially developing software made for mainframe computers and then shifting its products’ design toward performing on personal computers (PCs) in the late 1980s. Included in the collection are correspondence, publications, business records, legal documents, and conference proceedings reflecting the life of Imlay and his company, MSA, which merged with McCormack & Dodge to form Dun & Bradstreet Software Services (D&B Software) in 1989.
Biographical/Historical Note
John P. Imlay Jr. was born in Jacksonville, Florida on August 26, 1936. He attended college at Georgia Tech in Atlanta and received a BA in industrial management in 1959. After graduation Imlay worked for several companies, including Univac and Honeywell. In 1971 Imlay was appointed chief executive officer of Management Science America, Inc. (MSA), a major software company. Imlay was tasked with bringing the company out of bankruptcy. Under his leadership, MSA jettisoned the company’s more than one dozen business lines, retaining only the software business, and grew from $2 million in revenue in 1970 to $280 million in 1989 when the company was purchased by The Dun & Bradstreet Corp. Imlay set aside a small percentage of his profits from the sale of MSA – about $4 million — to invest in startups. Over the next two decades Imlay Investments Inc. provided venture funds to more than 120 small technology companies. In 1996 Imlay retired after serving as chairman of Dun & Bradstreet Software, the company formed with the merger of MSA and McCormack & Dodge. In 2010 Imlay retired from angel investing. He died March 26, 2015.
11 songs composed and sung in praise of International Business Machines (IBM). Titles include "Paean" (in praise of Charles Lecht), "March On With IBM", "To Thomas J. Watson, President, IBM", "To F.W. Nichol, Vice President and General Manager, IBM", "To C.A. Kirk, Executive Vice-President, IBM", "To J.L. Barton, Resident Manager, Endicott Plant", "The IBM Country Club Song", "Hail to the IBM" and "Ever Onward". Sung by the Association of British Secretaries in America, Ltd. (ABSA).
A selection of songs performed by Louis Armstrong and His All Stars. Distributed as promotional material for software products by Management Science America. Comapny tagline: "We add the genius to computers."
Black and white. Image is grainy. Maurice Wilkes (middle, kneeling, with glasses) and others working on equipment . There are several other men in image. In background are racks with vacuum tubes.
Verso: Edsac in red ink. A paper label has been partially removed.
Color image of thee configurations of the Honeywell 316. On the left the "cutting board" model, in the center the desktop, and on the right a rack mounted version. They are shown in a bright red background.
This print is the header print for a Honeywell Folder with 7 other prints. There is no attribution for the the prints.
Slides used in presentations by John Imlay. The 46 slides attached to this catalog record represent the unique slides in this folder; the remaining three are duplicates.
Slides used in presentation by John Imlay to senior management of Dun and Bradstreet Software on the occasion of the merger of Dun and Bradstreet with MSA.
Slides used in presentation by John Imlay. The 51 slides attached to this catalog record represent the unique slides in this folder; the remaining 14 are duplicates.
Slides of MSA advertisements, featuring Fran Tarkenton. Some of the original slides in this set were not centered, and parts of the advertisements were cut off in them. The display slides shown here have not been cropped beyond the original slide borders.
Slides of articles in Business Week featuring MSA. The 3 slides attached to this catalog record represent the unique slides in this folder; the remaining 2 are duplicates.
Slides of Businessweek story featuring John Imlay. The 2 slides attached to this catalog record represent the unique slides in this folder; the remaining 4 are duplicates.
Slides of John Imlay's quote about IBM. The 2 slides attached to this catalog record represent the unique slides in this folder; the remaining 1 is a duplicate.
Black and White poster comparing Henry Aaron's home run record with MSA's number of software customers.
Has order form for software products. Has picture of Henry Aaron.
Has "scoreboard" of number of customers using different MSA software products.
MSA Salutes Henry Aaron
Only the best go for 715
We're trying to make it before Hank
Don't strike out consider MSA Packages
Management Science America
First in Financial Software
Black and White poster with image of John Imlay CEO and his son, Scott, a student seated in front of two personal computers (an Apple and an
IBM PC).
The text contains excerpts from Mr. Imlay's keynote address to the 1983 National Computer Conference.
The 'Haves' and the 'Have-nots' of the future may be the children who know computing and those who do not.
CompuShop
WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONAL COMPUTERS, COMPUSHOP MEANS BUSINESS.
Also has Apple and IBM logos.
