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Campus Computing NewsThe End of an Era*By Claudia Lynch, Benchmarks Online EditorThe presence of the IBM 360/50 console in front of the podium at his retirement party was a fitting reminder of the incredible breadth of technology Richard A. Harris has presided over in his tenure at the University of North Texas Computing and Information Technology Center (CITC -- formerly the Computing Center). Harris was the first computer programmer at the school then called NTSU. He was hired as a student in 1962 to work on an IBM 1620, which was purchased to support academic users. The 1620 had 20K, which works out to be about 10K bytes as we know it now. The printer was the operator's console, which was an IBM electric typewriter. In 1963, Harris was appointed Acting Director of Academic Computing, replacing Gene Milner, who left to work for IBM. In 1964 an IBM 1440 was purchased to perform administrative data processing and Richard Harris was appointed Director of Computer Systems. Jerry Waldon (who retired in 1999 from his position as a Systems Programmer/Analyst in IBM Operating Systems Software Support after 34+ years with the UNT Computing Center) was appointed Associate Director of Academic Computing and Coy Hoggard (currently Executive Director of Administrative Information Systems) was hired to be Associate Director of Data Processing. Harris, Hoggard and the IBM 1440 were housed in the basement of the Administration Building. In 1969, computing personnel consisted of Richard Harris, Director of Computer Systems; Jerry Waldon, Associate Director of Academic Computing, who supervised one secretary/data entry operator and several part time people; Coy Hoggard, Associate Director of Data Processing, who supervised one programmer/analyst, one programmer, one computer operator, one keypunch supervisor, and three keypunch operators. The total operating budget for the Computing Center was $163,738. Fast forward to 2001. That year we planned to spend $931,762 on Oracle software alone, in order to bring up our new Enterprise-wide Information system (EIS)! As was noted in the invitation to Harris' retirement reception sent out to UNT faculty and staff, not only has Richard been responsible for notable successes in upgrading and improving computing and associated communication systems over the years, he is also the founder and past president of the Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications. He is a founding member of the DFW chapter of the Society for Information Management and he received the very high honor of being selected the 2004 DFW Area Information Technology Executive of the Year. He was recently profiled in SIM News, the online newsletter for the Society for Information Management (SIM). When Maurice Leatherbury accepted the position of Associate Vice President for Computing and Chief Technology Officer for the Computing and Information Technology Center last year, he agreed to take over, from Harris, the responsibility of managing an organization with a budget of more than $13 million and a staff of more than 170. Not only that, but CITC provides information technology services for instruction, research and administration throughout the UNT System. A system that includes the Denton campus, UNT Dallas Campus and the UNT Health Science Center. That is a long way from the basement of the Administration Building!** The end of an era doesn't mean you've seen the last of Richard Harris, though. He will continue to be involved with the University on a part-time basis, serving as Senior Consultant & Wireless Device Specialist (CTO- Retired). He can still be contacted at his E-mail address harris@unt.edu . * See "The End of an Era was Photographed" in this issue for pictures from Harris' retirement party. ** Now the Hurley Administration Building
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