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Murray F. Freeman papers
Notifications
Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Murray F. Freeman (1927-2000) received a degree in mathematics with high honors from Haverford College in 1947. He received a master's degree in mathematics from Princeton in 1949, and completed the coursework for a doctorate from the same institution. Subsequently, he worked for Philco (later Philco-Ford and Aeronutronic Ford Corporation), Siemens, General Electric, and Bellcore (Bell Communications Research). Freeman founded a consulting company, FOSI Limited, toward the end of his career.
He co-wrote a paper with J.W. Tukey introducing the Freeman-Tukey Arcsine Transformation, an important statistical data transformation.
Freeman worked on standards development work for much of his career. He was a voting member of X3 (NCITS) J3, focusing on developing FORTRAN standards, between 1970 and 1986, and a member of X3 (NCITS) T2, Data Interchange, from 1987, which developed standards for what is now the Internet. He served as secretary and vice-chair for X3T2 as well. He eventually served as X3T2's interim chair in 1999.
This collection consists of documents belonging to Murray F. Freeman (1927-2000), a Haverford alumnus and mathematical engineer. They record his work to develop standards for programming languages such as SQL and FORTRAN, for information interchange and interpretation, and for describing specifications outside of programming languages. They also record his work at Bellcore, General Electric, and Philco. Some personal documents are included as well.
FORTRAN (later Fortran, short for FORmula TRANslation) is a programming language, and the first high-level programming language. Originally developed by IBM in the 1950s to replace assembly language, it was adopted as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard. X3J3 was the ANSI committee responsible for developing the FORTRAN standard. These documents consist of X3J3 meeting minutes and publications, along with miscellaneous financial and other documents related to MFF's standards work around FORTRAN; MFF's requests for support by Bellcore for his standards activities; miscellaneous handwritten presentation transparencies; notes and presentation materials for MFF's 1983 presentation for the Lab 5813 Speaker Series talk: "The ANSI programming language standardization process, as exemplified by FORTRAN"; 'Memoranda for Record' related to FORTAN; notes, handouts, syllabus, and supplementary materials related to an Advanced FORTRAN Masters course taken by MFF; materials related to MFF's presentation "Standardization of Computer Languages - The Next FORTRAN Standard" at the University of Scranton; photocopied slides and handwritten and printed transparencies related to FORTRAN 8X; microform copies of FORTRAN 77 and a related document; articles regarding FORTRAN; documents, including reference documents and draft standards, related to "Information Technology--Open Systems Interconnection;" FORTRAN-related humor, including a booklet of computer programming jokes, an article "Real Programmers Don't Use PASCAL," and two humorous drawings portraying FORTRAN as a monster; a fragment of paper computer tape, MFF's desk nametag, correspondence (including the letter appointing MFF to the X3T2 Vice Chairmanship), a German FORTRAN handbook, and a report on portable FORTRAN programming; Software System user documentation; Department of Defense supplement to FORTRAN 77; F4SELECT program description; USA Standard FORTRAN, 1966; unofficial copy of FORTRAN 77; Public comments on dpANS FORTRAN, 1976; FORTRAN 90, 1991.
The T2 subcommittee of X3 (later NCITS and INCITS) is responsible for "Information Interchange and Interpretation." MFF was heavily involved in this subcommittee, culminating in his being its acting chair, beginning in 1999. A large portion of the collection as a whole is devoted to official X3T2 documents produced by X3T2 in the process of writing standards. They include memoranda debating the merits of various aspects of standards, proposals and suggestions, as well as meeting minutes and agendas. There is also an index to these official X3T2 documents, a set of X3T2 meeting minutes, MFF's X3T2 meeting notes, and emails sent to or from MFF related to X3T2. The T2-related documents include many travel documents related to Murray Freeman's trip to the conference location, draft and final agendas, draft and final minutes, and other documents used by Freeman at the meeting. Not all types of documents are present for every meeting. Also included are miscellaneous materials related to the work of the X3T2 committee, which are not specifically related to a meeting or part of the series of official documents; working documents, Freeman's notes, emails regarding T2 matters, amendments to draft specifications, memoranda, and other documents.
The H2 subcommittee of X3 is responsible for "Standards and Syntax." During the time that MFF served on this committee, it was largely tasked with developing and extending the SQL (Structured Query Language) standard. Included in this series are lists of X3H2 participants, a collection of X3H2 official documents, and X3H2 meeting documents.
ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22/WG11 "is the international standardization working group working on binding techniques for programming languages: how to make specifications independent of programming languages, and then apply these specifications to the programming languages." MFF was involved in this organization, and many emails he exchanged as a member of this group are included.
Finally, Bellcore, GE, and Philco employment-related materials, miscellaneous trip information miscellaneous standards-related documents, and personal and miscellaneous documents are included.
The collection is organized in nine series:
Series I. FORTRAN materials
Series II. X3T2 materials
Series III. X3H2 materials
Series IV. Working Group 11 emails
Series V. Bellcore materials
Series VI. GE and Philco materials
Series VII. Miscellaneous trips, standards documents
Series VIII. Personal and miscellaneous documents
Series IX. Publications used by Freeman
Beginning with Meeting No. 40 (March 1997), X3 was renamed the National Committee for Information Technology Standards (NCITS). This finding aid will continue to use the name X3 in addition to NCITS for clarity. The current (2020) name of the committee is the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS).
MFF will be used throughout this finding aid for Murray F. Freeman.
Throughout this finding aid there are additional biographical or historical notes for added information.
The Murray F. Freeman papers were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College in 2012 and 2013 by Aileen S. Freeman.
Processed by Jon Sweitzer-Lamme and Karl Moll; completed December 2013. Revised by Elizabeth Peters; completed March 2015.
People
Organization
- National Committee for Information Technology Standards
- International Organization for Standardization
- American National Standards Institute
Subject
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- Jon Sweitzer-Lamme and Karl Moll
- Finding Aid Date
- 2013
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
-
Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17).
Collection Inventory
12 items
1 boxes
Miscellaneous financial and other documents related to MFF's standards work around FORTRAN.
Physical Description10 items
MFF's requests for support by Bellcore for his standards activities; miscellaneous handwritten presentation transparencies.
Physical Description10 items
Notes and presentation materials for MFF's 1983 presentation for the Lab 5813 Speaker Series talk: "The ANSI programming language standardization process, as exemplified by FORTRAN"
Physical Description20 items
'Memoranda for Record' related to FORTAN.
Physical Description20 items
Notes, handouts, syllabus, and supplementary materials related to an Advanced FORTRAN Masters course taken by MFF.
Physical Description30 items
Materials related to MFF's presentation "Standardization of Computer Languages - The Next FORTRAN Standard" at the University of Scranton.
Physical Description5 items
Photocopied slides and handwritten and printed transparencies related to FORTRAN 8X. Also includes microform copies of FORTRAN 77 and a related document, partially damaged by water.
Physical Description10 items
Contains three articles: "FORTRAN: First in a six-part series on languages that have stood the test of time," "Algorithm 128: A DAP FORTRAN subroutine for thinning digitised pictures," and "Algorithm 127: A Modification of Sale's Algorithm to accommodate FORTRAN 77"
Physical Description3 items
Documents, including reference documents and draft standards, related to "Information Technology--Open Systems Interconnection."
Physical Description10 items
FORTRAN-related humor, including a booklet of computer programming jokes, an article "Real Programmers Don't Use PASCAL," and two humorous drawings portraying FORTRAN as a monster.
Physical Description4 items
Includes a fragment of paper computer tape, MFF's desk nametag, correspondence (including the letter appointing MFF to the X3T2 Vice Chairmanship), a German FORTRAN handbook, and a report on portable FORTRAN programming.
Physical Description6 items
Scratchwork for software.
Physical Description3 items
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Folders contain travel documents for MFF's travel to these meetings, as well as meeting planning documents and logistical documents distributed before or during the meetings.
Physical Description1 boxes
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These documents were distributed to the X3J3 committee by various members, regarding edits to documents, rules and guidelines, and various proposals.
Each document has a header on the upper righthand side of the first page as well as the lower righthand side of each page. The first typed number is the meeting to which these documents correspond, followed by the initials of the author and a second typed number, which differentiates between each of the documents written by a given author for a given meeting.
The large, circled handwritten number on the upper righthand side of every page is the document number. The handwritten number at the center of the bottom of each page is the overall page number. Documents which are longer than one page have typed page numbers at the bottom as well.
Physical Description1 boxes
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Editing memoranda for X3J3.
Physical Description3 items
Includes 1986 and 1988 versions of FORTRAN 8X.
Physical Description2 items
Includes ballot documents and editing memoranda for X3J3 activities.
Physical Description2 items
1 items
Materials include: Software System user documentation; Department of Defense supplement to FORTRAN 77; F4SELECT program description; USA Standard FORTRAN, 1966; unofficial copy of FORTRAN 77; Public comments on dpANS FORTRAN, 1976; FORTRAN 90, 1991.
Physical Description7 volumes
Beginning with Meeting No. 40 (March 1997), X3 was renamed the National Committee for Information Technology Standards (NCITS). This finding aid will continue to use the name X3 in addition to NCITS for clarity. The current (2013) name of the committee is the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS).
Physical Description53 items
Included in each folder are travel documents related to Murray Freeman's trip to the conference location, draft and final agendas, draft and final minutes, and other documents used by Freeman at the meeting. Not all types of documents are present for every meeting.
Physical Description2 boxes
20 folders
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This folder is significantly larger than any other meeting folder in this series. In addition to the meeting minutes and agenda, it contains an archive of emails related to this meeting, documents related to the meeting, and documents printed from a floppy disk (included) related to the meeting.
Physical Description1 folders
1 folders
These are miscellaneous materials related to the work of the X3T2 committee, that are not specifically related to a meeting or part of the series of official documents.
Physical Description1 boxes
Contains sample blank forms for use by X3T2.
Physical Description1 folders
Contains notes on membership and printed X3T2 working documents.
Physical Description1 folders
Includes blank and returned ballots on an X3T2 committee vote.
Physical Description1 folders
Correspondence regarding MFF's volunteering for a term as Vice-Chair of X3T2.
Physical Description10 items
Documents and correspondence related to MFF's service as the editor of ISO 6093, as well as financial documents, membership documents, and documents related to X3T2 meetings.
Physical Description10 items
Documents and correspondence related to the T2 and L8 subcommittees of X3.
Physical Description1 folders
Documents, correspondence and photographs related to the possible merger of the T2 and L8 subcommittees of X3.
Physical Description1 folders
Agendas, minutes, reports, correspondence and articles related to NCITS (X3), many related to MFF's interest in ontology.
Physical Description20 items
1 folders
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Includes correspondence, documents and a 5 1/4-inch floppy disk.
Physical Description1 folders
These documents have been left in their original order--which appears somewhat haphazard--because it appears that they remain in the order that he was using them as the Acting Chair of T2. All three folders in this box were originally contained in one large expandable file.
Contains working documents, Freeman's notes, emails regarding T2 matters, amendments to draft specifications, memoranda, and other documents.
Physical Description1 boxes
1 volumes
These documents are the official products of X3T2 in the process of producing standards. They include memoranda debating the merits of various aspects of standards, proposals and suggestions, as well as meeting minutes and agendas.
Physical Description29 items
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Contains out-of-pocket expense reports, largely for MFF's travels to standards conferences.
Physical Description50 items
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Includes notes, handouts, articles, agendas and memoranda.
Physical Description15 items
Includes notes and handouts on Bellcore's affirmative action program for older employees.
Physical Description5 items
Includes 'Word Processing Requests,' memoranda and notes.
Physical Description10 items
Includes memoranda, a scientific article on 'cold fusion,' and correspondence.
Physical Description10 items
Includes forms, correspondence, memoranda, evaluations, and other documents related to MFF's time at Bellcore.
Physical Description50 items
Includes organizational charts, seminar handouts, articles, and memoranda.
Physical Description10 items
1 boxes
40 items
Includes performance reviews, forms, and materials on various performance enhancement programs run by GE.
Physical Description30 items
Includes MFF's resignation from Philco and various forms.
Physical Description20 items
Includes expense reports and correspondence.
Physical Description30 items
Includes MFF's performance reviews for his time at Philco.
Physical Description10 items
1 items
Trip folders contain receipts and ephemera related to MFF's travel to the location, as well as documents from the event itself.
Physical Description16 items
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Includes a "Guide for US Delegates to IEC/ISO Meetings," "JTC 1's Electronic Document Distribution Formatting Guidelines," and the 1990 and 1995 editions of "Procedures for the technical work of ISO/IEC JTC 1 on Information Technology,"
Physical Description4 items
Includes the X3 Committee's "Organization and Procedures," a "Guide for US Delegates to ISO and IEC meetings," and an NCITS brochure, "Information Technology Standardization for the Next Millenium."
Physical Description4 items
Includes articles on ontology, on TDSN, and on miscellaneous topics.
Physical Description15 items
Includes a catalog of 'concept catalogues, taxonomies and hierarchies,' a draft of "Information technology - Language-Independent Procedure Calling," and a draft of "Information Technology (IT) - Conceptual Graphs."
Physical Description3 items
Emails are correspondence related to the possible merger of the T2 (Data Interchange and Interpretation) and L8 (Data Representation) subcommittees of X3.
Physical Description3 items
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Includes information on formatting an ANSI standard, which is what the macros in this group were designed to do.
Physical Description1 volumes
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This box contains the following:
ISO 1498
ISO 9066-1
ISO 9066-2
ISO 9072-1
ISO 9072-1
ISO 841: 1985
Physical Description1 boxes
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This series consists of publications, from spiral-bound reports to hardbound books, on topics related to MFF's work.
3 items
1 volumes
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