A Tribute to

Dr. J. Presper Eckert

Co-Inventor of ENIAC

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Background

The Past Year and a Half

Pres's Childhood

The Moore School

The Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation

Background

My name is Dan McGrath. I have known the Eckert family for 30 years. Dr. Eckert's son John, is my best friend. Through him I have gotten to know Pres and his entire family. I even worked for Pres for a time in the early eighties.

Pres died on June 3, 1995 after a prolonged battle with leukemia. A couple of years later, in preparation for moving out of their large house in Gladwyne, his widow, Judy, asked me if I would help clean out her attic. I helped her with this project an evening or so a week for a couple of months and eventually continued on, assisting with the entire move. Most of the items in the current collection were removed at this time to the home of a mutual friend for safe keeping.

It came to pass that this fellow got married and was selling his house to move in with his new wife. He could no longer be custodian of these documents and artifacts. In a rush, he was having a difficult time getting in touch with Judy, and he asked me if I could store this stuff until we could could contact her to see what she wanted to do with these items. I had just acquired some additional storage space for my business so it was no problem for me.

I eventually contacted Judy who informed me she wished to sell the collection and asked me if I would assist her in this endeavor. I immediately said yes.

The Past Year and a Half