THE ROADS THAT LED TO ROME

[Music] [Music] Once upon a time, back in 1911, in fact, there was a company known by its initials. [Music] C for computing with scales. T for tabulating data processing now and R for recording time. CTR computing, tabulating, recording. Three diverse product lines. There were factories at Washington, Bingmpington, Endicott. There were offices, conventions, business shows with bright lights, proud claims of originality, live wire salesmen, and we put our shows on the road long before the ramicade. Our advertising literature lacked glamour perhaps, but it was in keeping with the times. Madison Avenue sophistication was yet to arrive. Remember that Mady was just getting her first washing machine. She was dreaming of the latest word in stoves or elegant ball gowns. A bright new miracle for the housewife was the vacuum cleaner. Horseless carriages had not yet reached Fifth Avenue. Maybe the early vehicles were just too grand. Then Lizzy appeared and put America on wheels. Our people rolled to meetings in the latest models back when the Oldsmobile was really merry. Here is a convention motorcade in Bingmpington. They stopped off for a ball game with Endicut Johnson. Our people touched all the bases and mighty Casey had not struck out. But it wasn't all play. Even then, conventions mixed pleasure and business. Headquarters outings at Roen Point were strenuous but relaxing, complete with bathing beauties of the pre-bikini era. But back to work the next day in their punching. This girl's dexterity was in no way impeded by automatic feeding mechanisms. The boss seems satisfied with the result. The early sortter. It provided plenty of healthy bending exercise. Here's what might be called programming for automatic control. The insertion of blank cards to make the tabulator stop for totals. These pioneers depended on ice picks long before the super cold of cryogenics. [Music] For output, she had straight line pencil methods for copying totals right at her fingertips. No bothersome printing device got in her way. Awkward as this seems, it was really the most modern system available. Punched card methods were winning wider acceptance. The first TM sales school with Bert Mcznney had ensured the spread of punched card accounting in business and government. [Music] and we had our own Time magazine long before the days of Henry Loose. One of Mr. Watson's inspiring principles appeared in an early issue, the man proposition on equality. Now to Endicott 1919 and a convention. We marched to beat the ban. [Music] [Applause] [Music] These buildings were our principal manufacturing facilities. The total factory force in high spirits assembled with the conventioneers. [Music] [Applause] [Music] In 1920, we held an executive school at Shaunie on Delaware. They came by train and by bus. Mr. and Mrs. Watson and young members of their wonderful family arrived by touring car. [Music] This was the first instance of the resort meeting idea. The class assembled on the lawn for an informal dance lesson. And there was another course of study. Golfers found the course challenging. [Music] Their wives cheered them on to victory. Yet another sales school made its way to Endicott in 1923, learning the business. These are not system service girls. In 1924, CTR became IBM with a shining new trademark. Atlantic City, 1924. [Music] We open sparkling showrooms to display our wares. [Music] The Quarter Century Club members came down for their first meeting. Distinguished younger guests were Tom Jr. and Dick Watson. Our home office in 1924 could assemble all executives in a single room. Blue penciling of ads was executive prerogative. Even then the home office in those days was somewhat less than sumptuous. Naturally, we were our own best customer. New York's posh Fifth Avenue saw the opening of another new IBM showroom. The bicycle cop seems intrigued. Red Lamont just went out for coffee. Jack Kenny already had his. In 1925, we congratulated ourselves for having more than 400 models in the line, leaving out scales and meat choppers and coffee mills. This boast didn't mean too much to the TM salesman. Philadelphia, the Sesquentennial exhibit in the city of brotherly love. We won an award. Our float won a prize, too. The image was building. 1927, an all-star sales team won a jaunt to Bermuda. The group included Jim Hickey, Red Lamont, Jack Kenny, and Ed Perkins. Another outing. The lad with the catcher's mitt is George Richtor. He's been catching it ever since. Even the bystanders enjoyed the field day. [Music] One of our biggest sales schools to date convened in 1929. A whole bus load. Mr. EE Ford was a guest lecturer. So was sales manager Lamont. Several members of this class are with us today. Here are John McFersonen, Bill Dunn, and Harry Isers looking over the assembly line. This skull session was doubtless inspired by the think motto. Jack Wall seems anxious to punch out for a study session. [Music] That's big walls being threatened by soup. We now took full page ads, not glamorous, but realistic. Fashion plates of the period sported bowlers and chesterfields. A promotional picture released about this time showed new and improved equipment. We still had the 45 column card, but big improvements with the automatic gang punch, [Music] the interpreter, and 285 printer complete with suspicious attendant. Your exuberance in combating the depression was shown at conventions in the early 30s. The enthusiasm of Clark Kuster and Charlie Thompson sparked the meeting. [Music] Prize winners in 1932 were Bill Needam, Bill Dunn and John McFersonen. [Music] The NRA Blue Eagle flew into brief orbit. Business people and the general public demonstrated their zeal in front of 310 Fth Avenue. A Century of Progress exposition in Chicago that year was another encouraging sign for business. Spirits brightened as people flocked to the fair. Our building won a design prize. And more important, it drew large crowds. Electromatic, as it was then called, joined IBM, starting our typewriter division. and your efforts kept the factories humming. In 1934 at the convention, Mr. Watson made headlines with this promise. This prediction of growth, modest as it seems today, is the reason you are here. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Even the Chinese were being informed about IBM products through an avantgard sales film that gave a unique reason for human error. [Music] Such distractions and turmoil could be avoided, the film said, only by punched card magic. IBM faith in the future was reflected in our new school and laboratory buildings in Endicott dedicated to Mr. Watson's proposition that there is no saturation point in education. Many of you began your IBM careers in sales schools here. Conventions continue to feature the on to Europe motif with elaborate stage settings. Among club members receiving awards here are Hal Wolf, Greg Kerner, Russ Becker, Gordon Levelvel, [Music] Doc Hyde, and Bill Casease. By now we had become truly international as one of our films of the time proclaimed. Social Security legislation led to our biggest installation of the time, keeping records of 27 million employees. While everyone couldn't sell an installation of this magnitude, it was typical of the strides being made and typical of your enterprise. Our roving photographer toured the country in 1936 and got these shots outside some of our offices. There's Elgen Hill, the pride of Texas, and George Ramy. [Music] Tom Clemens looks like he just made quota. [Music] Paul Windram seems happy too. So does everyone for that matter. President of sales school 235 in 1937 was Al Williams. He made his first 100% club shortly thereafter. In 1938, the size of the convention reflected the increased size of the business. Prizes were won by Vin Lerson, Stubby Gibson, and Claude Mayan. Tom Watson Jr. received his diploma at Endicott sales school. 85 members of his sales school 305 sang like larks. Our [Music] rallying song, Ever Onward, got symphonic treatment that year. [Music] Early in 1939, we were ready for the New York Fair. [Applause] There's our float under the L. [Music] It is now passing our still new headquarters building. The Trilon and Parisphere, symbols of the fair, dominated the many attractions. [Music] Many of you attended the ceremonies, then to the Waldorf convention. [Music] Jack Abean was one of the speakers. Many of you fair ladies were guests. Sitting in with you, lucky fellow was John Hunt. By acclamation, Mrs. Watson, IBM's first lady, joined the group at the speakers table. [Music] [Applause] [Music] The first member of the club next year was Tom Watson Jr. and Whiz Miller made his first club. The typewriter division was growing rapidly, aided by the speed records set by world champion Margaret Hammer. 1940 fair day was attended by IBM families from all over the country. 40,000 people, 10,000 employees from Field and Factory, and 30,000 guests. Among the notables were Lawrence Tibet, Mrs. Sarah Roosevelt, Mayor Laguardia, and Lily Ponds. Our breathtaking display dramatically juxtaposed art and equipment. The spinning globe symbolized our interest in world peace. [Music] Some idea of our growth to that point was captured in these composite models of IBM buildings. [Music] And in a burst of glory, the day ended. [Music] Then came 1941, the year you doubled 1933's profits. You did it. You did it with equipment that isn't even in the line anymore. You did it with enterprise and rare skill and inspiration. But world conditions would not permit celebration of your achievement then And after the war, you resumed your preoccupation with the growth of the business. New products spurred your efforts. The 407 end printing reproducer. In 1947, your impetus doubled the profits again. You leapt into the new world of electronics and mammoth data processing systems. Profits were again doubled. Now they were 12 times that of 1933. And none of this could have happened without leadership. Leadership that was acknowledged in 1954 when we paused to honor Mr. and Mrs. Watson on their 40th IBM anniversary. Here was the leader, the teacher, and the gentle lady who inspired him. As Mr. Lamont so alley put it. Tablecros were linked around the world in heartfelt tribute. Still pioneering, still learning, and more important sponsoring additional product improvement. Your profit doubling activities continued until they reached a point greater by 64 times that of 1933. You had built a giant, but a beneficent giant. You still build and by example teach others to build. So here in the live present of an ancient city, a monument to the enduring values of human contributions, your mighty efforts in building the roads that led to Rome are gratefully acknowledged.