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Title
Papers of Professor Stanley Gill
Reference
GILL
Production date
1947 - 1975

Creator

Gill, Stanley Biography Biography
(1926-1975) Computer Scientist Stanley Gill was born in Worthing in 1926 and educated at Worthing High School between 1935-1943. He attended St. John's College Cambridge from 1943-1945 and again from 1948-1949. From 1946-1948 Gill was employed at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on punch card computing and the design of the Pilot ACE. In the Autumn of 1949 Gill began research at the University Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge, where he studied programming with Dr (now Professor) MV Wilkes and Dr DJ Wheeler. He achieved his Ph.D at Cambridge in 1952. Stanley Gill's career involved him in the academic, commercial and political aspects of computing. He was Professor of Computing Science at Imperial College, London, 1964-1970, a consultant to International Computers Limited, from 1964-1965 and again from 1968-1970, as well as to the Ministry of Technology from 1966-1969. He was a founding member of the British Computer Society and its President from 1967-1968 and United Kingdom representative on the General Assembly of the International Federation for Information Processing from 1963-1969. Gill also served on numerous official committees. Stanley Gill died on the 5th April 1975.

Scope and Content
The fonds consists mainly of correspondence files, folders, notebooks, personal and techncial photographs (black and white prints), describing Gill's working life from 1947 to 1975. The files and folders contain typescript and manuscript notes and working papers, annotated material, printed material, pamphlets, leaflets and press cuttings. Included are computer print outs of programme testing and Gill's Ph.D thesis entitled The Application of an Electronic Digital Computer to Problems in Mathematics and Physics, November 1952. Biographical and personal material (1947-1974) is also included in the fonds. Series A mainly contains information about Professor Gill's working life and personal and technical photographs, including a significant document describing PILOT ACE computer problems (one typescript page). Very little documentary evidence of Gill's early career remains, but numerous letters throughout the collection amply testify to the friendly relationships he maintained with former colleagues at NPL, Cambridge and Ferranti Limited during the whole of his career. Gill was keenly interested in "computer policy" and wrote and lectured prolifically on this subject. His extensive correspondence and his collection of press cuttings, commercial and political reports and committee papers amongst others provide useful material for documenting the turbulent history of computer developments in Britain. Section G has been titled "Computer Policy" but Gill's deep conviction that computer technology was vitally important to Britain and his efforts to secure a strong position for it, are dominant themes throughout the collection and appear in every section. Section B contains many files of notes, working papers and correspondence relating to the four-colour problem on which Gill was working at the time of his death. There is one box, labelled "Miscellaneous", which is uncatalogued and seems to deal with basic language collaboration with International Computers Limited and includes Annual Reports, 1965-1970.
Extent
6.00 metres (24 boxes + 1 loose volume)
Language
English
Archival history
The papers were catalogued by the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre in 1978 (subsequently the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists and now the Centre for Scientific Archives). The catalogue is accessible online via the National Register of Archives. This fonds level description was inputted into the Science Museum Library and Archives' catalogue during July 2011.
Level of description
TOP
Repository name
Science Museum, London
Conditions governing access
Open Access
Conditions governing Reproduction
Copies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions

Related object

Research Papers of Ken Johnson related to Ferranti Computers Notes Notes

Appraisal
No appraisal of this collection has been undertaken.
System of arrangement
The papers have been arranged into nine series, numbered alphabetically, which reflect Stanley Gill's working life (including consultancy work), academic work and communication of his work and ideas by means of lectures, broadcasts, overseas visits and publications. Sub-series have been arranged either according to the companies Gill worked for, particular projects or activities. Some sub-series have internal chronological subdivisions.