From: pam<-DerekRoss at 11/02 23:27

> I did not know about the IBM punch card tech and the access usage by Nazi. I googled this up, Edwin Black has a book in this "IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation. “ (cc Uncle Bob who is doing  a lot of historic computer growth reads).  
> 

Thomas Watson Sr. was quite a character.  In his earlier years he worked for NCR, and engaged in a fair number of illegal commercial activities -- He was a white collar criminal who was eventually convicted of anti-trust felonies.  This conviction did not impede his growth in the industry.  Indeed, it likely accelerated it.  Eventually he grew to be the CEO and Chairman of IBM.  And, yes, he quite enthusiastiically sold equipment to the Nazis to help their trains run on time.

His son, Thomas Watson Jr. was eventually moved to apologize, on behalf of IBM, for that complicity.

CC: #[4]