[Info-vax] Ken Olsen

[brendan welch]

On 2/9/2011 11:04 AM, JF Mezei wrote:
> Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>
>> Is there any evidence the HP knows who Ken Olson was???  IIRC it was
>> Compaq that bought DEC.  HP's acquisition of Compaq came a year or two
>> later.
>
>
> Even if HP had not inherited what was left of DEC, as one of the older
> computer firms, it should have sent a message of condolenceses and
> marked how much of a mark Mr Olsen had left in the computer industry etc
> etc.
>
I understand that when Ken Olsen worked at Lincoln Lab, before founding 
DEC, he lived in my town (Bedford, Massachusetts).  After his death, I 
mentioned this by email to the staff of the local town paper.  They were 
quite surprised (probably because they had not been born until many 
years later.)

In a trivial off-topic, I had always wondered in exactly what house he 
did live.
(I know there are more important things in this world).  A few months 
ago, here on COV, there was one of those postings which seem to explode.
It was about the history of VMS, as I recall, and generated a tremendous 
number of spirited replies.  It inspired me to again look into the 
matter.  I did this first while walking the dog, and inquiring of the 
daughter of the woman who in those days was the leading real estate 
person; she did not know, and has not got back to me.   Then, because I 
have to be in the town library 3 days a week, I inquired about that 
aspect of the town history.  It turns out I would have to pick a certain 
year (which only now do I realize would be near 1957) and then search 
through a list of voters, street by street.  I chose not to use my time 
that way, even though I might find out that someone I have known for 
years lives in that very house.