Access for Everyone: Computing at Drexel, 1946-1984

The history of computing at Drexel dates back to the first general-purpose digital computer, the ENIAC, which was built at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946. On March 5th, Drexel and Penn electrical engineers held a joint meeting to learn about the ENIAC and how it worked.

Interest in computing continued in the 1950s among Drexel students and faculty. In 1955, the Mathematics Department hosted a series of lectures on computing, which were open to all Drexel faculty. Speakers included Drexel math professors Samuel S. McNeary and Robert J. Bickel, as well as representatives from major computer companies. The Drexel Ledger, a publication by students in the College of Business, included articles about the role of computers in business. The earliest was written by Alvin Barnes, a junior majoring in business administration, in 1957.