1971 – MEASURE Magazine | Agilent History Center

January 1971 Year of Opportunity

Semi-annual managers meeting discusses success in the 1970s; Hewlett talks about long-term planning, trend away from defense spending associated with the Cold War, deepening concern for social improvements and preservation of the environment; speech by Professor Lee Bach, U.S. economy. 2-14
HP Profit-Sharing Retirement Fund lost 15 percent in 1970. 14
Noel Eldred, executive vice president, remembered. 15

February 1971

Pre-retirement planning pilot programs’ goals to give participants positive attitude toward retirement. 2 7
Testing the Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull (found in 1927 in Mayan temple in Honduras) in Santa Clara crystal lab; made from single quartz crystal, age not determined. 8 10
The case for international manufacturing; “transferred products” manufacturing (i.e., offshoring), arguments for. 11 13
Bob Boniface, vice president of marketing, assumes duties of the late Noel Eldred. 14
Two new directors elected: Robert Glaser, Bill Doolittle. 14
Hewlett talks about growth in Europe. 15
HP correlator used by astronomers at University of California. 16

March 1971 HP Career Women in the Spotlight

Interviews with HP career women; HP efforts to recruit and promote women. (diversity) 2 7
Wall Street analysts asked to comment on HP stock. 8 11
Demographics of computer mailing lists. 12 13
First-quarter sales up 12 percent, earnings up 19 cents/share. 14
Hewlett discusses first-quarter earnings. 15
Computer timesharing lets HP computer owners operate up to eight terminals simultaneously. 16

April 1971 The “Jet-Lag” Set

Profile of a line supervisor at New Jersey Division; emphasizes that person doing the work should know more about it than supervisor. 2 5
Jet lag and international travel; traveling is hard work; travel stories. 6 9
HP hotline parts-order-processing (POP) parts system and customer service center. 10 12
Trouble defining HP; is it electronics company or instruments company — a solutions company. 13
HP board meets at Medical Electronics Division. 14
Newsweek interviews HP. 14
IEEE awards Cupertino Division first prize for systems advertising. 14
HP Australia starts data center. 14
Neely mobile lab tours west with oscilloscopes. 14
Hewlett discusses IEEE show in New York. 15
Reduced workforce accomplished mostly by unreplaced attrition. 16

May 1971 BAD Is Coming: What’s the Idea?

Junior achievement program started at HP called Summer Program; real-paying summer jobs at Loveland. 2 5
History of cardiographs and treatment of patients, as seen by a user/nurse. 6 7
BAD, “Buck a Day,” savings ideas; bright ideas and methods improvement at HP. 8 11
Portable HP equipment can be run on battery pack: 5300 series counter system and 1700 series scope. 12 13
YHP gives stone lantern to Palo Alto. 14
Hewlett discusses quality seen in a stolen-then-recovered 9100 calculator. 15
HP desktop calculator and plotter appear in Hollywood film “Andromeda Strain.” 16

June 1971 Security

Security philosophy at HP is having high degree of employee participation, responsibility of all rather than rigorous ID system and guards. 2 7
Marketing strategy shortens lines of communication, greater access between divisions and sales. 8 11
HP repair service in East, Paramus, N.J. 12 13
Second-quarter sales and earnings below previous year. 14
Don Hammond receives CB Sawyer award for outstanding work in quartz crystals and devices. 14
Profit sharing distributes $2.3 million. 14
HP 2007A minicomputers used in Edinburgh, Scotland, schools. 14
Hewlett discusses second-quarter earnings. 15
HP collaborates on laser art at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 16

July 1971 HP Art

High standard of sales training for complex HP products requires sales and new product training, exposure to customer applications and technical degree. 2 5
Product safety, liability and what HP is doing to ensure products offer maximum safety. 6 9
HP employee artists are highlighted with their works. 10 13
Recycling program of printout paper begins; recycle 140 tons/year. 14
HP scholarships awarded to 50 children of employees. 14
Western Electric orders microwave analyzers from HP. 15
Bernard Oliver, vice president of research, takes leave of absence to search for life beyond our solar system, Project Cyclops. 15
HP managers meeting emphasizes forward planning. 15
Hewlett discusses affirmative action and community involvement, citizenship, social responsibility. 14 15
HP measures speed of drag car. (diversity) 16

August 1971 Technology: Tool for a Troubled World

Technology and society, citizenship; technology as tool for healing ills it’s accused of abetting; Barney Oliver, vice president of research, talks before Australia Institute of Radio and Electronic Engineers on role of moral scientists and engineers, ecological problems, nuclear energy. 2 7
Views on scientific responsibility and excesses of unbridled “progress.” 8 11
What can technology contribute; letters from employees on technology gap between nations, world hunger, conservation, computers, education, population. 12 17
Hewlett relays correspondence about first product, 200A audio oscillator. 18 19
Famous engineers mistaken predictions on impossible inventions. 20

September 1971 Insurance: It’s not always the “Other Guy”

HP people involved in cycling and recycling out of environmental responsibility. 2 6
Employee disability, and the importance of participating in group medical plan, life insurance. 7 9
Third-quarter sales up 2 percent, earnings down 4. 10
HP announces manufacturing subsidiary in Grenoble, France. 10
Stock dividend of 10 cents/share distributed. 10
Sales Financing Division starts to provide broader financing capability for customers. 10
HP instructional videotapes train professionals. 10
Hewlett discusses Nixon’s economic policies (wage and price controls) and HP. 11
Contributions to United Way. 11

October 1971 The Wide World of HP Winners

Individualism at HP; employees excelling in sports. 2 6
Wall charts used in systems analysis to show routing involved in a system; leads to questions, challenges and changes. 7 9
Series 9800, Model 10 calculator is in production. 10 13
Rockaway, N.J., expands plant by 52,000 sq.ft. 14
Text editing software, TIDE, marketed by HP. 14
HP equipment featured in world’s largest fetal-monitoring facility, Crozer-Chester Medical Center. 14
HP sponsors Educational Users Group formed to share information of use of computers in instruction. 14
Annual report wins third-place in Financial World’s contest. 14
Hewlett discusses management selection and development. 15
Microwave Division raises campaign to achieve leadership in all product lines. 16

November 1971 Something to be Thankful for

Thanksgiving thoughts at HP; employees answer question “What events in your life pleased you most in 1971?” 2 5
Mechanical measuring, calibration, metrology. 6 9
Role of HP Labs; meeting emphasizes communication between Labs and divisions. 10 12
HP authors Barney Oliver and John Cage edit “Electronic Measurements and Instrumentation” text; book contributors include 28 HP engineers and scientists. 13
HP 3000 disc-based computer system introduced; time-share, real-time, and general-purpose computing system. 14
HP Singapore security employee awarded medal for long service. 14
Santa Rosa land purchase of 200 acres for future plant. 14
Hewlett remarks on R&D and HP Labs organization. 15
Neely Sales office fire; importance of fire precautions. 16

December 1971 The Early Years