a report from 1961 about "existing operational electronic digital computing and data processing systems manufactured or operated within the united states."

In 1955, a survey of electronic digital computing systems was conducted by the Ballistic Research Laboratories in order to provide technical data for the evaluation of the then existing computing machine complement of the Laboratories. The results of that survey were made available in BRL Report Number 971, M. Weik "A Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems". The report was well received by persons in government and industry. The U. S. Department of Commerce undertook further printing and distribution of the report under cover of Public Bulletin 111996, Office of Technical Services ...

... Due to the great interest which has developed in these survey reports, the Department of Defense has co-ordinated this activity among the Armed Services. This report contains the results of a third survey of domestic electronic digital computing systems.

also included a list of manufactors of computer systems at that time. i like that paper: it includes information on applications, cost, power and space requirements and a lot of questions:

Many persons in the computing and data processing field continually seek answers to many different questions simultaneously. Some of these questions are: Can present methods, practices and procedures used in a given organization be accomplished by automatic computing and data processing equipment? Will investment in such equipment reduce costs, provide improved service, conserve manpower or save time? When shall existing computing equipment be modified, supplemented or replaced? Of all available equipment, what type of system is best suited for the solution of a given problem or a given group of problems? Is the maximum possible return being obtained from a given investment in computing equipment? Does a given problem require specially built equipment or is a solution to be found with comercially available standard equipment? Should computing equipment be rented or purchased? Should a system be installed "on the premises" or should computer time be purchased elsewhere? The purpose of a surveillance and evaluation program is to provide answers to these and similar questions.

"The first industrial digital computer based control system was the catalytic polymerisation unit of the Port Arthur (Texas) plant of the Texaco Company which went on-line in March 1959. It used a Ramo- Wooldridge RW-300 computer and had 103 process measurements and 14 control outputs of which five, controlling the reactor feed valves, were direct digital control outputs, all the other outputs were set point adjustments for analogue controllers. The Ramo- Wooldridge Company, an advanced scientific and engineering services company, had been involved since 1953 in the USAF ballistic missile programme, but was looking to diversify into civil applications and had initiated the project with the Texaco company in 1956. In 1958 it merged with Thompson Products, a supplier of precision parts for automobiles and aircraft, to form the Thompson- Ramo-Wooldridge Company and this company remained until the mid-1960s the major supplier of digital computers and computer control systems for industrial applications." (stuart bennett, who is giving credits to stout and williams.)

more to store. also on storage