Collectivité

University of Saskatchewan. Department of Computing Services

1964-

The use of digital computers at the University of Saskatchewan began with the installation of a Librascope General Precision LGP-30 computer in the Mathematics department, in 1958. This machine was designed to fit into a Steelcase TM office desk, and had 4,096 words of 32-bit drum memory. Contrasted with today's microcomputer chips that have millions of transistors, this machine had 18 flip-flop circuits based on vacuum tube technology. It was jointly owned with PRL, and was not used except by the specialists in those two organizations. In the period 1963-65, an IBM 1620 was installed in the Engineering building. Some programming courses were given in Engineering, Commerce and Mathematics, but there was no full time support organization for computing until 1965, when an IBM 7040 "mainframe" was purchased with funding assistance from the National Research Council. It too was installed in the Engineering building and the Computational Centre was created in 1965. By 1967 a new IBM 360 Model 50 was installed in the Arts building, and the computer support staff consisted of 22 operators, programmers and analysts. In 1973 the University installed its first time-sharing system. It served up to 32 simultaneous users, and was programmed in BASIC. [Kavanagh, p. 1]. In 1974 the department was renamed the Department of Academic and Computing Services. The Department delivers a variety of technical, educational and sales services to the administrative and academic departments on campus. Head, Computational Centre: G.W. Peardon (1965-1969); N.E. Glassen [Acting] (1969-1970); N.E. Glassen (1970-1973); R. Vander Ham (1973-1974). Head, Computing Services: B.A. Malero (1964-1978); R.N. Kavanaugh (1978-1999); R. Bunt (2000- ).