Early Computers at Harvard—and 40 Years Later, at The Crimson

Every week, The Crimson publishes a selection of articles that were printed in our pages in years past.

August 8, 1944: Mechanical Brains Aid in Tabulations

University Hall boasts a set of a mechanical wizards that can do nearly everything but shape College policy. Since December 1943, when acceleration began and clerical work had to be stepped up, five International Business Machines have been adding, subtracting, separating, sorting, tabulating, and reproducing Harvard records, with two operators doing the work of 30 pre-war secretaries.

August 11, 1964: Vellucci Uncovers Local Rat Menace

City Councilman Alfred E. Vellucci has called for a full-scale investigation of a newly uncovered rat menace in Cambridge. He said that he had gotten "several complaints" that homes in the River St. area, particularly near the Charles River, are becoming infested with rodents.

"I don't know whether these are muskrats from the Charles," he said, "or just plain ordinary rats, but some of the neighbors have told me that they are nearly as big as cats."

Vellucci said he is certain the complaints are legitimate. "Not long ago," he said, "I happened to be present when Cambridge police shot a large rodent between two houses in the River St. neighborhood."

August 11, 1965: Violence Erupts in Allston As BRA Evicts More Residents

The Boston Redevelopment Authority Monday captured a major fortified citadel that had been occupied by North Harvard urban renewal opponents but only after last-ditch resistance erupted into a bitter melee in which 12 people were arrested for trespassing.

The trouble came when sheriff's deputies attempted to make their way through about 20 people blocking the entrance to the home of an about-to-be evicted tenant.

August 9, 1968: Square Scorns Spiro T. Agnew

Most people around the Square had already been swallowing hard for eleven hours when word came up from Miami yesterday that Spiro T. Agnew was Nixon's running mate. That did it. Young and old were revolted. A New Nausea swept the area.

August 9, 1974: New Freshman Domitory To Open on Time

Harvard's new freshman dormitory, Canaday Hall, will be ready to house incoming freshmen in September despite technical problems that will present final completion of the building until later in the fall.

August 10, 1984: VDTs, Computers Revolutionize Crimson Newsroom

The clickety-clack of manual typewriters which kept the Crimson newsroom buzzing for more than 100 years finally came to an end yesterday.

The reason: a new computer system that fully integrates the writing, editing, and typesetting of the newspaper was installed this week.

Under the new system. Crimson writers enter their news articles, opinion pieces, and editorials into a video display terminal, which acts as a word-processor.

—Compiled by Julie M. Zauzmer