History of the Information Display Division
June 1974
The Information Display Division became a division In June of 1973. Developments 1eading to the division began a dozen years earlier. Working in our Cathode Ray Tube Development Lab, Bob Anderson invented the "Direct View Bistable Storage Tube" on which we filed a patent application in 1962. The 564 oscilloscope Introduced in June 1962 was the first Tektronix product to Incorporate the concept of storage.
Between 1962 and 1967 we struggled with the technology needed to make a large storage tube for information transmission and display. The 611 Storage Display Monitor, which contained an 11" storage CRT, was shown with a keyboard, vector and character generator built into a demo unit, in October 1967 at the National Electronic Conference.
Computer Displays, Inc. took our 611, added a keyboard, a character generator and had the beginnings of a computer terminal called ARDS. We decided we could do a better job and as a consequence we introduced the T4002 Computer Terminal at a price of $8,800 at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in December of 1968. The first terminal was sold in January 1969 and delivered in February 1970. The 4501 Scan Converter was also introduced at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in December of 1968. Tektronix Fiscal Year 800 ended (May 1969) with no IDP marketing or sales force, but with eleven terminal orders.
Three Application Engineers (AE's) were sent to the field in August 1969. John DesJardins, Jack McQuain, and Ralph Thomason blazed the trail as computer terminal specialists reporting to their respective region managers. Doug Thorson followed in March, and Rick Kehrli in May.
Information Display Products (IDP) became IDP by May 1970. Larry Mayhew was named IDP manager, John Bowne as Engineering Manager, and Howard Mikesell was manufacturing manager, and and Stan Leacock was Marketing Manager. The five AE's and Beaverton Marketing then reported to Stan.
At the Spring Joint Computer Conference (SJCC) in May 1970, lDP introduced the T4005, the 4601 Hard Copy Unit, the 4901 Interactive Graphic Unit, and the 4951 Joystick. FY 900 ended with the group having a name, "IDP", a separate organization structure and field force, new products and good growth in sales.
Morgan Howells joined IDP as Marketing Manager in August of 1970. The Application Engineering News (AEN) was started by Kevin VanHoomissen in April of 1971 - our own newsletter! The Spring Joint in May 1971 saw IDP introduce the T4002A Graphic Computer Terminal, the 4551 Light Pen Unit, and the 4701 Eight Channel Multiplexer. For the first time we also introduced our own software package: Tekplot for time shared computers, IBM 360 Assembly Language software, and mini-computer software. FY100 ended with eight AE’s in the field and almost twice the sales of the previous year.
WESCON, held In August 1971 saw IDP Introduce the 4602 Video Hard Copy Unit and Peter Cook came on as Software Manager. Our first Tekgraphics was distributed In September. One month later, October 1971, IDP went to the Fall Joint Computer Conference with the 4010 Computer Display Terminal at a price of $3950. The 4010-1, 4610 Hard Copy Unit, 4911 Tape Reader/Perforator, and the 4912 Digital Cassette Tape Unit were shown at the same time. At the Spring Joint In May 1972 we showed the 613. Seven new products introduced in one fiscal year!
Dudley Gaylord brought IDP Its own Manuals group in March 1972. This was a new departure for Tek. John DesJardins, Rick Kehrli, Jack McQuain and Ralph Thomason were named Application Engineer Supervisors. The field force had now grown to four supervisors and twelve AE's. Again we doubled our sales force and almost doubled our sales for FY200.
The four Application Engineer Supervisors were named Region Sales Managers. Bob Keyes, U.S. Sales Manager, John Lamb, Sales Training Manager, Jon Reed, Manufacturing Manager, Dick Smith, Market Research joined IDP In FY300. When Colin Barton joined IDP we started our own Advertising group. Four System Analysts and twenty-eight AE's were added.
The 4903 Interactive Graphic Unit was announced in July 1972. The 4012 full upper and lower case and 4013 APL Computer Display Terminals were announced in August 1972.
The year was capped by the April 1973 National Sales Meeting in Portland. Once more we had doubled our sales force and almost doubled our sales. Larry Mayhew was named Vice President and IDP changed to the Information Display Division.
FY400 (1974) started with the June National Computer Conference where we introduced the 4014 and 4015, 19" Computer Display Terminals; 4023. Refreshed alphanumeric terminal; 4503, silicon target scan converter; 4623; and 4632 low cost TV Hard Copy Units. Calculator Products and MCU came under our wing. Bill Davis, Dick Pechin, Doug Thorson, Paul Trischitta, Jim Sweeney, Mike Gouge, Larry Hofmeister, and Jim Farrell were named District Sales Managers. Jack McQuain moved to Beaverton to manage the Terminal Products Marketing group, while Rick Kehrli took on a special assignment. John Rowley moved from Marketing Software to become a Region Sales Manager and Bud Runnels was hired as a Region Sales Manager. Late in the year, Bud came to Beaverton to manage the Product Marketing groups and his region was split between two other regions.
This time we more than doubled our sales and only slightly increased the size of our sales force. We are getting more efficient.
FY500 (1975) started with the National Computer Conference in Chicago where we Introduced the 4921 and 4922 Flexible Disc Memory Units and the 4953 and 4954 Graphic Tablets. Ralph Thomason returned to Beaverton to become the Sales Program Manager. The United States was then divided into two regions, East and West, with John DesJardins managing the East end John Rowley the West.
Our growth in products, people, sales, organization, enthusiasm, and esprit de corps marks the Information Display Division as an exciting and challenging place to work.
John Lamb
John's notes contain some additional dates.
1962 Storage Tube Invention
June 1962 National Electronics Conference (NEC)
564 oscilloscope
October 1967 NEC
611 Display Monitor $2500
601 Display Monitor $1050
April 1968 NEC
602 Display Monitor $675
December 1968 Fall Joint Computer Conference
T4002 Display Terminal $8000 - 1st order July 1969
4501 Scan Converter $2200
May 1970
4701 $1500
4551 $1800
T4002A Display Terminal $8800
4601
August 1971 WESCON
603 $1100
604 $700
4601 $3000
October 1971 Fall Joint Computer Conference
4010 Display Terminal $3950
4010-1 Display Terminal $4250
4610 Hard Copy Unit $3550
4911 $2950
4912 $1950
May 1972 Spring Joint Computer Conference
613 $2200
4023
John's notes contains some additional dates:
1973
4661
1975
Wilsonville building - Larry
Three divisions: IDS - Claude, IDP - Howard, IDO - Jon
1976
4051
4006
RE4012
4081
4662
1978 Larry moves to corporate, Howard becomes Division Manager
Three Business Units: T&D, GCS, CPI
1979
4052
4054
4016
GMA
February 1980
MDS 600 Series
4663
1981
4112
4113
4114
April 1983 7 new products
4105/7/9 Family
4115
4695