1
Computer Memory The technology revolution sprang to life at Peddie with the acquisition of a single unit in 1968. Over the last four decades, Peddie has evolved into a leader in academic computing. By Dr. David “Doc” Martin, Peddie Historian
T
he story of computers and modern technology at Peddie begins in 1968 when the school acquired its first computer, a 7-year-old Monrobot XI, generously donated by Bernard Goldsmith II, father of Bernard (Barry) Goldsmith III ’62. The unit was easy to use because it ran on standard current and required no special temperature or humidity controls, but it had very limited memory, and data had to be loaded by paper tape. It was immediately embraced into the school’s curriculum as seven students took the newly offered computing course and learned how to construct flow charts and write programs that would alphabetize names and compute the school’s teacher/ student ratio. In addition, 50 or 60 boys (yes, the school was not coeducational in those days) enjoyed playing assorted games on it. The father of Peddie computing is popular former math teacher Dietrich E.O. von Schwerdtner. “Mr. Von,” as he is respectfully and fondly called, came to Peddie in 1965 and attended special courses in computing at Dartmouth in the summer of 1968 in order to be able set up our first computer program and courses. The program grew quickly, and by 1971 two more powerful new Monrobots were acquired. Von Schwertner also developed PECOS in 1971 (Peddie Computer Operating System) with the guidance and considerable help of William L. Salmon Jr. ’49, who continued to work with Von Schwertner for a number of years and so became a major factor in the development of computing at Peddie. The Monrobots were replaced in 1975 by an Interdata Model 716 that had a 16-bit processor with 64k bytes of RAM and permitted more than one user at a time. To host the new computer a “Computation Center” was set up by Mr. Von
30 Peddie Chronicle
2
3
4
5
and the parents of Paul Lasko ’77 in the lower level of Annenberg Hall (the space now occupied by Building Services). The new computer room boasted of having six terminals as well as being able to compile FORTRAN programs, which our students were introduced to by Bill Salmon Jr. The old computer room in Annenberg Hall 301 was converted to classroom use for me when I arrived at Peddie in September 1975. A second computer teacher, Tom Lott, came aboard in 1978 and started the task of computerizing the school’s alumni records. He also worked with Bill Salmon Jr.at setting up an assembly language course for our most advanced students. Lott had his hands full when “Calvin,” as the Interdata machine was called, totally broke down while processing grade reports in the fall of 1979. He and his students had to work overtime to transfer the grade-reporting program to Apple BASIC. Peddie computing entered a new era after 1979 when Von Schwertner left to enter the business world and Tom Lott departed a year later. We were lucky to land a new computer “guru,” math teacher Tim Corica, who co-wrote a text in 1986 called “A Guide to Computer Programming in Pascal” as well as several other later texts and manuals. He witnessed the introduction of Apple II computers, which shared data by use of floppy disks. By 1982 a shared hard drive was in use by the Alumni and Development Office, and by 1985 there was a shared hard drive for student use. Our progress in computers was greatly aided by Barry Goldsmith, who gave a donation to set up computers in the library and supported the school to “purchase what we need for computers.” With his aid the school switched in the late 1980s from Apples to Tandy 1000s. Separate Novell-based servers were installed in 1990 for the computer lab, Business Office, and Alumni Office. The technology revolution struck Peddie full force in the early 1990s as we stepped to the forefront in academic computing. Plans were begun for a campus network and, starting in 1991, new students were required to take a course in HIT (Harnessing Information and Technology). The first campuswide network was installed in 1992 and internet e-mail was available to everyone in the fall of 1993. The $250,000 cost
of setting up this campus-wide system was funded by Board Chair Finn M.W. Caspersen ’59. In September 1994 laptop computers were issued to all 30 students participating in the Principio Project as a key component of the program. They proved to work so well that all teachers were issued laptops in 1997 and all students were issued laptops in fall 1998. The first Peddie website was set up in January 1995 and soon afterward the first 21st century classroom was set up. SMART boards were installed in the math classrooms in 1998, and wireless access in all classrooms was achieved in 2001. These innovations were overseen by “Mr. Von,” who returned as computer coordinator from 1990–1994, and by Tim Corica, who served as director of academic computing from 1994–2001, when he became dean of faculty and was replaced by our current director of technology, Tom Phelan. We are proud to say that Peddie remains in the forefront of academic computing and technology to this day. The one-to-one laptop program, which started in 1998 and provides all the faculty and students with a Peddie laptop, is still the foundation upon which the Peddie technology program is built. The Peddie network continues to grow and now contains over 3,000 wired ports and 100 wireless access points all linked together via a 10-Gbps fiber backbone. The server room contains the latest equipment, including blade servers, multi-terabyte SANs, and both a DS3 and Fios connection to the Internet. On the software side, Peddie computers will be migrated to Windows 7 in the coming year, and all come preloaded with software such as Microsoft Office 2007 and Adobe’s full suite of applications. Peddie is also on the leading edge of the trend toward cloud computing, having migrated to Google Apps in September 2008, as well as providing a host of other web-based applications for communicating everything from class assignments, to grade
reports, to summer mailing information. Peddie’s classrooms are well equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment, including fixed projectors, control systems, SMART boards, and document cameras. A new technology center was opened in the lower level of Annenberg Hall in 2007 and the Technology Department has a full-time staff of eight people. When asked if Peddie is still on the cutting edge of technology, Director of Technology Phelan responds with a wry smile, noting that, when he attends technology conferences, he answers more questions than he asks. Special thanks to Tim Corica, Tom Phelan and Dietrich E.O. Von Schwertner (“Mr. Von”) for their help preparing this article.
1. Department of Mathematics Chair Evans Hicks and Barry Goldsmith ’62 review a program tape from the school’s first computer, donated by Barry’s father Bernard Goldsmith in 1968. 2. Dietrich E.O. von Schwerdtner, a.k.a. “Mr. Von,” the father of Peddie computing, works with a student. 3. Steve Tifft ’70 operating a mathematics department computer. 4. Tim Corica (left) demonstrates a calculus lesson to students Lisa Worthington, center, and Laura Norrett, both ’93. 5. Peddie Director of Technology Tom Phelan oversees the school’s vast computer network.
Spring 2010 31