A Tribute to Herman Hollerith(Mr. IBM)

"We get paid for working with our heads."--Herman Hollerith

If you studied the history of computers, Charles Babbage (Ada Lovelace's mentor) is at the top of the list with his theoretical design of a rudimentary steam-driven numbers cruncher in 1822. A century later, a group of English scientists took his design and built the numbers cruncher.

In second place came Mr. IBM himself (Herman Hollerith) with his invention of a mechanical punch card-based numbers cruncher in 1890. (If you thought that Ada Lovelace should have come in second place behind her mentor, she is at the top of the list concerning the history of computer software.)

Herman's date of birth is February 29, 1860 (year of America's Civil War). His date of death is November 17, 1929 (year of the stock market crash).

In 1879, Herman graduated from Columbia University (CU) with a B.S. degree in mining. Because of the rigorous courses that he took (i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Geometry, Surveying & Graphics, Surveying & Assaying, and visits to metallurgical & machine shops to understand how the functionality thereof), I would definitely rate this defining moment as Herman's first major inheritance from his professors.

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After his graduation from CU, Herman received an offer to work at Uncle Sam's Census Bureau as an Assistant to William Petit Trowbridge, his former teacher. Herman met Dr. John Shaw Billings, Department head over Vital Statistics, through his daughter (Kate Sherman Billings, Herman's girl friend). Dr. John's theoretical assistance and motivation became Herman's second major inheritance. Herman's mentor is deserving of a brief digression from Herman's mini-biography because Dr. John was a contributing factor (on a theoretical level) to Herman's invention.

Dr. John's primary legacy can be summed up as being the chief organizer of medical knowledge in libraries. (Being the designer of the original buildings of John Hopkins Hospital in 1889 was a side note in comparison to his contributions to the formation of libraries--funded by Andrew Carnegie--throughout New York.)

Let's focus on Dr. John's contributions to Uncle Sam's Census Bureau. Dr. John was able to transform medical and demographic data into numbers that were PUNCHED ON CARDBOARD CARDS as developed by Herman. Dr. John was responsible for the WHAT of punched cards. Herman was responsible for the HOW of punched cards.

The best advice that Dr. John gave to Herman is for him to study a weaving device (Herman's third major inheritance) called a Jacquard loom (named in honor of Frenchman Joseph Marie Jacquard who invented the device). Joseph

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had a similar dilemma as Herman when it came to repetitive tasks that could be automated. Joseph invented a system that consisted of weaving (cloth making) patterns represented by punched holes. Herman was able to apply Joseph's punched hole system of making cloths to his system of processing numbers.

Herman's invention consisted of the use of electrical connections to record information via a counter that was triggered by those electrical connections. The information was recorded by the punched holes in a card. According to Herman, information that was punched in certain locations (later called rows and columns) on a card can also be counted/sorted in a mechanical manner.

Allow me to enter a deeper level of specificity concerning the mechanics of Herman's invention that revolutionized the US Bureau of Statistics. Holes were punched on cards/sheets made of material that was a conduit of electricity. The holes represented a specific relationship to each other (i.e. a hole in one position represented a male, a hole in another position represented a female, a hole in a different position represented a US citizen, and in another position a foreigner) and to a standardized format (the brains--Centralized Processing Unit---of Herman's invention).

The format is used to count items either separately or together. The counting was done mechanically by electro-magnetic circuits that are controlled by the holes on the cards/sheets. In other words, when a hole is passed over a

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drum, an electrical circuit for each hole is completed. Each electrical current that is caused by a hole is considered a hit/count for a statistic (number of males, females, US citizens, foreigners, etc).

The hole punching system is similar to the binary system of ones (holes) and zeros (no holes). Hence, Herman's invention was a pre-cursor to the modern computer storage of digital data. Assembly language courses teach you how to use ones (1) and zeros (0) to form representations of numbers, characters, and logic. The binary representation of basic numbers (4 bits required) is as follows:

0000 = 0

0001 = 1

0010 = 2

0011 = 3

0100 = 4

0101 = 5

0110 = 6

0111 = 7

1000 = 8

1001 = 9

1010 = 10

1011 = 11

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1100 = 12

1101 = 13

1110 = 14

1111 = 15

10000101 (8 bits/1 byte required) = 128 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 4 + 0 + 1 = 133

The binary representation of our alphabet (ASCII standard) is as follows (binary number--base 2--is the representation of the decimal number--base 10):

Symbol Decimal Binary (8 bits/1 byte required)

A 65 01000001

B 66 01000010

C 67 01000011

D 68 01000100

E 69 01000101

F 70 01000110

G 71 01000111

H 72 01001000

I 73 01001001

J 74 01001010

K 75 01001011

L 76 01001100

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M 77 01001101

N 78 01001110

O 79 01001111

P 80 01010000

Q 81 01010001

R 82 01010010

S 83 01010011

T 84 01010100

U 85 01010101

V 86 01010110

W 87 01010111

X 88 01011000

Y 89 01011001

Z 90 01011010

Symbol Decimal Binary

a 97 01100001

b 98 01100010

c 99 01100011

d 100 01100100

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e 101 01100101

f 102 01100110

g 103 01100111

h 104 01101000

i 105 01101001

j 106 01101010

k 107 01101011

l 108 01101100

m 109 01101101

n 110 01101110

o 111 01101111

p 112 01110000

q 113 01110001

r 114 01110010

s 115 01110011

t 116 01110100

u 117 01110101

v 118 01110110

w 119 01110111

x 120 01111000

y 121 01111001

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z 122 01111010

. 250 11111010

Space 32 00100000

If I want a computer to understand the following sentence:

I want 10 boxes.

Any computer programming language (i.e. Ada) would translate the preceding sentence into the following binary representation:

Symbol Decimal Binary

I 73 01001001Space 32 00100000w 87 01010111a 97 01100001n 110 01101110t 116 01110100Space 32 0010000010 10 1010Space 32 00100000b 98 01100010o 111 01101111x 120 01111000e 101 01100101s 115 01110011. 250 11111010

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Here's the sentence in our English language:

I want 10 boxes.

Here's the sentence in the computer's language:

01001001 00100000 01010111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 1010 00100000 01100010 01101111 01111000 01100101 01110011 11111010

Binary logic is used as a representation of electrical circuitry in computers that have a number of input electrical lines A, B, C, ... and a number of output electrical lines with the result of either on (1) or off (0).

In the case of real digital circuits, currents that are passed through the lines with a voltage between about 5 and 15 are called ON or TRUE or 1. Currents that are passed with a voltage near zero are called OFF or FALSE or 0. TRUE represents the digit 1, and FALSE represents the digit 0.

The binary expressions of logic are as follows (NOT, OR, AND, NOR, NAND, and EOR):

[1] NOT(A) = 1 if A=0; NOT(A) = 0 if A=1.

[2] A OR B = 1 if A or B = 1; A OR B = 0 if both A and B = 0.

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[3] A AND B = 1 if A and B = 1; A AND B = 0 if A or B = 0.

[4] A NOR B = NOT(A OR B). The symbol "NOR" means the opposite of the "OR" symbol, which is the "AND" symbol.

[5] A NAND B = NOT (A AND B). The symbol "NAND" means the opposite of the "AND" symbol, which is the "OR" symbol.

[6] A EOR B = 1 if either A or B = 1 but not both; A EOR B = 0 if both A and B = 1 or both A and B = 0. The "EOR" symbol means Exclusively OR.

The following are logic tables that graphically express the preceding logic:

[1] "NOT" Table

A not(A)

0 1

1 0

[2] "OR" Table

A B A OR B

0 0 0

0 1 1

10

1 0 1

1 1 1

[3] "AND" Table

A B A AND B

0 0 0

0 1 0

1 0 0

1 1 1

[4] "NOR" Table

A B A OR B NOT(AOR B) = A NOR B

0 0 0 1

0 1 1 0

1 0 1 0

1 1 1 0

[5] "NAND" Table

A B A AND B NOT(A AND B) = A NAND B

0 0 0 1

0 1 0 1

1 0 0 1

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1 1 1 0

[6] "EOR" Table

A B A EOR B

0 0 0

0 1 1

1 0 1

1 1 0

[END OF BINARY REPRESENTATION OF NUMBERS, CHARACTERS, AND LOGIC]

Concerning the cards, Herman adopted Joseph's idea of using cards on the weaving device. In Herman's case, he decided to use cards on his statistical device. The computer's punched cards were later named the Hollerith cards in honor of Herman Hollerith. Also, the Hollerith constants/strings (declaration of string constants in computer programming) were named in honor of Herman Hollerith.

The cards were the same dimensions of our paper denominations (6" long by 2.8" wide). The main advantage of such a dimension was that the cards could be sorted/re-sorted with relative ease in comparison to the long continuous strips that were difficult to correct when sorting problems occurred (besides being easy to tear).

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Herman replaced the drum component with the press (like the printing press) that operated according to its name (pressing the cards).

The revised counting routine was that the pins over the holes passed through the cards that were submerged in mercury (liquid metallic element). The mercury-filled cards created electrical circuits that produced hits that are kept in temporary storage by counters (similar to variables that store temporary values like the following pseudo code statement in which the variable "COUNT" stores the actual number of whatever statistic that triggered it: COUNT = COUNT + 1).

In 1882, while enrolling himself in CU's Ph.D program, Herman taught mechanical engineering at MIT and begin working on the mechanics of his invention (Herman's fourth major inheritance deposited to his mind by MIT's culture of creativity).

In 1884, Herman decided to file a patent application with Uncle Sam's Patent Office. On the application, he entitled his idea "Art of Compiling Statistics." It was during this time that he received both motivation and theoretical assistance from his mentor John.

In 1889, Herman put the preceding information concerning his invention in his doctoral thesis entitled "An Electric Tabulating System" that resulted in the fulfillment of his goal of obtaining a Ph.D (Herman's fifth major inheritance). Also in 1889 (five years after the application

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was submitted), Herman received his patent (his first LEGACY).

After receiving his patent, Herman created a company (named Tabulating Machine Company) that specialized in making card punching machines (rudimentary form of computers at the time). His first customers were Uncle Sam's Navy and the US Census Bureau that used Herman's product to formulate the 1890 census in one year ($5 million in savings). (It took 8 years to formulate the 1880 census).

The cards/sheets were sold separately from the machine. In those days, machines were leased instead of purchased. (Hardware was expensive in those days.) Herman's tabulating computers were leased by census organizations around the world (New Jersey, New York, Maryland, England, Italy, Germany, Russia, Canada, France, Norway, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines). The computers were leased by insurance companies also.

Thomas J. Watson (first President of newly formed IBM) became Herman's sixth major inheritance because of his skills as a master salesman. Herman made the computers. Thomas sold the computers. It was a match made in Heaven, and IBM's bottom line proved it.

Herman continued to make advancements to his invention. For instance, he increased the input speed of data entry operators by creating the first automatic card-feed mechanism and the first keyboard that was used to punch

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holes in the cards. As a result, skilled data entry operators could punch 200-300 cards per hour (his second LEGACY). Also, Herman created a tabulator (device used to read data from the punched cards and to generate an output of printed lists of the result--his third LEGACY) that was designed to be used only for 1890 Census cards.

In 1906, Herman refined his tabulator by adding to it a plug board control panel (his fourth LEGACY) that enabled the Type I Tabulator to be used for different purposes without tinkering with the hardware. (This concept became the precursor to computer programming. However, Ada Lovelace's invention of algorithms pre-dated the "algorithmic brains" behind Herman's plug board control panel.)

In 1911, four companies (including Herman's company) united under the umbrella name Computing Tabulating Recording Company (CTR). When Herman appointed Thomas J. Watson to be the combined company's first President, the name was changed to International Business Machines (IBM) in 1924. IBM became Herman Hollerith's fifth and longest lasting LEGACY. (By the way, the quickest way to become a CEO is to be great in sales. If you don't believe me, ask people like Lee Iacocca and Larry Ellison who were great salesmen.)

2 of Herman's great-grandsons (Herman Hollerith IV and Randolph Marshall Hollerith) are Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia and Episcopal Priest in

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Richmond, Virginia respectively. (Don't forget that children are legacies also. The Bible calls them heritages of the LORD.) Herman had 6 children to come from his wife's womb. If you have children, then please stop complaining about now having a legacy. Your children are your legacy. Whether they are good or bad legacies is dependant on your ability to train up your children in the way that they should go so that when they become adults, they won't depart from your training.

I presented unto you another biographical example of a person (just like you and me) who was able to convert the inheritances he received in a variety of ways (professors at CU, his mentor at Uncle Sam's Census Bureau, and Joseph Marie Jacquard's invention of the loom) into tremendous legacies (patents of his inventions and IBM that is still in operation today as more of a service company instead of a hardware company).

Herman's legacies were improved upon by others. Such improvements are to be expected because of the advancement of knowledge. Herman himself was able to improved Joseph Marie Jacquard's legacy of the Jacquard loom. Even Moore's law (and other similar laws about the rate of technology's advancement) confirms it.

If Herman could leave a legacy for others to enjoy, you can do it also (on a smaller scale). A legacy is a legacy whether it's a large company that employs thousands of people or the ability to clean things. Legacies do not depend on how many people know about your creation. All you need is at

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least one person to know about it and to receive it as an inheritance.

Salvation Prayer (for those who are not saved)"Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ. Your Word says, 'Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved,' and 'If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9).' You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live within me (John 3:5,6,15-16; Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Holy Spirit and give me the ability to speak with other tongues (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4)."

"I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus Christ from the dead. I thank You for coming into my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen."

If you have just prayed this prayer, please let me know of your decision. Also, use the following contact information to receive your FREE GIFT:

kcm.org/salvation (the web of Kenneth Copeland Ministries)

1-800-600-7396 (phone number of Kenneth Copeland Ministries)

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Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26)"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee; the LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Amen and amen.

Referenceshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shaw_Billingshttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/tabulatorhttp://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/courses/CSCI1200-96/binary.htmlhttp://www.kerryr.net/pioneers/ascii1.htmhttp://www0.cs.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/B261/binary_logic.htmlhttp://www.computersciencelab.com/ComputerHistory/HistoryPt2.htmhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Herman_Hollerith.aspxhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Hollerithhttp://www.livescience.com/20718-computer-history.html

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