These scans are a subset of Leeds archive documents that
illustrate how it all began.
The copyright of these documents rests with the archive of the
University of Leeds, and the University of Leeds Library Special
Collections. We are grateful for their permission to reproduce
them here.
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2nd October 1948:
A letter from Professor Sir Gordon
Cox to Professor E K Rideal, then Director of the
Davy-Faraday laboratory at the Royal Institution,
outlining the case for computer support to pursue
work in X-ray crystallography.
Cox was central to Leeds' ultimate success in winning a
computer.
... a good deal of computation is involved ... No earlier document in pursuit of a computer at Leeds is known. |
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24th May 1956:
George Mallaby of the University Grants Committee
announces the provision of computers to Durham
[Newcastle], Leeds, London, Oxford, Southampton and
Glasgow universities.
... Computers are already installed at Cambridge and Manchester ... |
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December 1957:
Almost certainly the first instance of the teaching of
computing at the university.
Professor A S (Sandy) Douglas announces a programming
course for would-be users of the recently installed Pegasus.
... the course is primarily intended for research students ... |