Preacher Psychology prof built several new early computer systems.
This is not really an adventure story, but a good human interest story. What you can do if you focus and get creative.
Dr. Edgar Eddins was a friend of mine, long gone now. But he was an early pioneer in the computer and computers in the education space. He worked with early Computer Automation and Hewitt-Packard mini-computers.
He moved from being a Baptist clergyman and psychology professor to set up the computer department at Hartwick College. He rebuilt the computer systems and upgraded them for the whole state of Wyoming, National College of Education in Evanston, now National Lewis in three cities, and Hadley School for the Blind in Winnetka IL. There he created the computer department, installed the first hybrid printer that put brail on both sides of a thick, paper-mâché like paper, calculating the proper spacing so they did not interfere with those on the other side.
He paved the way for his wife who came to Hadley after getting her MBA and took over as VP of administration and eventually Dr. Ed’s computer department when he moved to a new position. His wife, Maureen, later moved down to be the VP at the Printing House for the Blind, affecting students all over the country.
After Hadley, Dr. Edgar Eddins moved to be the computer director at Columbia college and ran their Hewlett-Packard minicomputer operation and programs for both administration and education departments. He created a pioneer project of a PC-based student computer center using a large, clumsy Magnavox computer and CP/M operating system. The monitor display was yellow low-resolution letters on a brown background.
cation and file management system. Later it had a Fax modem board to allow directly faxing a document from a word processer.
Ed used the money he earned from my project to buy his daughter her first computer. He just loved empowering other people. It would be hard to count the number of students and administrators he helped get their start.
Naturally these stories are from before 1990. The names are long gone, but paved the way for where we are today.
Made him a pioneer.
