Computer History Museum | Oral History of Tom Stockebrand @ComputerHistory | Uploaded February 2023 | Updated October 2024, 12 hours ago.
Interviewed by Gardner Hendrie and Grant Saviers on 2019-05-01 in Holmes Beach, FL
© Computer History Museum
Tom grew up in Evanston, IL and had an early and intense interest in in all things technical, particularly electronics. He chose Caltech for college and obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering. His enthusiasm for “trying out crazy ideas” took him in many directions. After CalTech, he was drafted and served 2 years in the US Army as a maintenance technician. Then went to work for Wes Clark at Lincoln Labs and was asked by Wes to develop a large tape drive for the TX-2 computer.
This led to working with IBM to get their tape drives installed on SAGE systems and participating in the development of LINCtape. After 7 years at Lincoln, he joined his friends and Ken Olson at Digital Equipment Corporation. There he developed DECtape, a very reliable block addressed tape drive with a shirt pocket sized tape reel. Probably the first commercial personal portable digital storage. After a stint as corporate manufacturing engineering manager solving some thorny problem holding back PDP-11 production, Tom put together a team to develop DEC’s first video terminal, the VT50. After moving to Albuquerque, NM to assist starting up a new terminals plant, Tom started an advanced development group for high performance video displays. Retiring from DEC in 1990, he obtained his PE license and consulted on artillery fuses, prototype rail guns, transport in vacuum tunnels, ground water heat exchange, and non-destructive ultrasonic testing. Well earning being “the craziest ME in the US” as he was called early in his career.
* Note: Transcripts represent what was said in the interview. However, to enhance meaning or add clarification, interviewees have the opportunity to modify this text afterward. This may result in discrepancies between the transcript and the video. Please refer to the transcript for further information - computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102781599
Visit computerhistory.org/collections/oralhistories for more information about the Computer History Museum's Oral History Collection.
Catalog Number: 102781600
Lot Number: X9085.2019
Interviewed by Gardner Hendrie and Grant Saviers on 2019-05-01 in Holmes Beach, FL
© Computer History Museum
Tom grew up in Evanston, IL and had an early and intense interest in in all things technical, particularly electronics. He chose Caltech for college and obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering. His enthusiasm for “trying out crazy ideas” took him in many directions. After CalTech, he was drafted and served 2 years in the US Army as a maintenance technician. Then went to work for Wes Clark at Lincoln Labs and was asked by Wes to develop a large tape drive for the TX-2 computer.
This led to working with IBM to get their tape drives installed on SAGE systems and participating in the development of LINCtape. After 7 years at Lincoln, he joined his friends and Ken Olson at Digital Equipment Corporation. There he developed DECtape, a very reliable block addressed tape drive with a shirt pocket sized tape reel. Probably the first commercial personal portable digital storage. After a stint as corporate manufacturing engineering manager solving some thorny problem holding back PDP-11 production, Tom put together a team to develop DEC’s first video terminal, the VT50. After moving to Albuquerque, NM to assist starting up a new terminals plant, Tom started an advanced development group for high performance video displays. Retiring from DEC in 1990, he obtained his PE license and consulted on artillery fuses, prototype rail guns, transport in vacuum tunnels, ground water heat exchange, and non-destructive ultrasonic testing. Well earning being “the craziest ME in the US” as he was called early in his career.
* Note: Transcripts represent what was said in the interview. However, to enhance meaning or add clarification, interviewees have the opportunity to modify this text afterward. This may result in discrepancies between the transcript and the video. Please refer to the transcript for further information - computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102781599
Visit computerhistory.org/collections/oralhistories for more information about the Computer History Museum's Oral History Collection.
Catalog Number: 102781600
Lot Number: X9085.2019
