“Visions of Tomorrow With Computers of Today”: UNC’s First Computer in 1959

Posted Dec 16, 2015
UNC decided to acquire a UNIVAC 1105 from the Sperry-Rand Corporation in 1959 due to a 50% educational discount and being able to own the machine outright versus renting one from IBM. The computer weighed 19 tons and had an estimated value of $2.4 million, which, adjusting for inflation, would today be over $20 million. The Phillips Hall Annex was chosen to house the computer. (UNC.edu)

Related: Campus Connections

Hilliard Greene: Angus Barn’s Most Popular Greeter Reflects on 96 Years of Life, Love, and UNC Hoops
Hilliard Greene was born Sept. 11, 1928, making him older than the discovery of penicillin and the creation of Mickey Mouse. He turned down a...
Sun Dec 29, 2024

UNC innovation, startups drive thousands of jobs, billions in revenue in North Carolina
Data from fiscal year 2024 shows the impact of UNC-affiliated startups across North Carolina and beyond. Since 1958, startups connected with the University have raised...
Thu Dec 26, 2024

Top Stories of 2024: The Lee Roberts Era Begins at UNC
Lee Roberts’ name first surfaced as an interim — and permanent — option to lead UNC in December 2023, as The Chronicle of Higher Education...
Wed Dec 25, 2024

Highlights of 2024 at Carolina
In 2024, Carolina celebrated research milestones, remarkable centennials, national championships and more. The year began with Lee H. Roberts arriving in Chapel Hill as interim...
Mon Dec 23, 2024