SHARE (IBM User Group)

SHARE was an IBM mainframe users group. The organization evidently still exists (see here and here) but seems to have changed significantly--no surprise there. In the years during which UCC and WCC operated a mainframe, staff participated in SHARE meetings or conventions from time to time. At these meetings, selected topics were dealt with in smaller special interest group settings in order to exchange information and ideas both between IBM and the users and also between the users themselves.

In the evenings, IBM hosted a reception which allowed lots of one-on-one interchange and opportunity for some fun. My recollection is that IBM provided an open bar and that the liquor flowed probably too freely. All of the photographs below are from one of these receptions at a SHARE meeting in San Francisco in (probably) 1971 or 1972. Jim, Lee, and I were obviously all there, as you will see.

I need to provide some context. One of the software systems that we used at UCC was called HASP (Houston Automatic Spooling Priority system). This software, which was a vastly better performing alternative to the OS/360's built-in spooling capabilities, had been developed by IBM for the LBJ Space Center in Houston. Many OS/360 installations around the country chose to use HASP, including many academic institutions. HASP had a strong following within SHARE to the point that a HASP Song Book was eventually created to document alternative lyrics to popular or well-known songs written to praise HASP. The lyrics were written and contributed by persons at SHARE member institutions or companies. (I may be guilty of having written such a set of lyrics called "My HASP" which were to be sung to the tune of the old song "Mother." If necessary, you can find at least one version of "Mother"  here, in case you really need to hear it.)

So, at SHARE receptions, HASP lovers would gather around a piano and sing songs from the song book. There is no question that the open bar, mentioned earlier, contributed greatly to the liveliness and enthusiasm with which individuals participated. At the San Francisco meeting, we find Jim contributing his golden tones to one of the renditions. (I am told Jim still waxes melodious with his active involvement in barber shop quartets and choruses.)

The person in the picture below is Charles (Charlie) Forney from Penn State University. Charlie was a leader or organizer of some of the HASP special interest group meetings--note the ribbon on his badge. I believe he was attempting to bring some order to the sing-along, including next selections and so forth. Notice his orange necktie with HASP spelled out on it--more about that below.

I have been wracking my brain trying to recall the name of the piano player in this picture. (I found it! His name was Dick Hitt.) I know he was one of the IBM HASP development team in the years after its original creation for the LBJ Space Center. He was one of those pianists who could play almost anything "by ear", and so that worked well for the sing-alongs. I remember that he worked on the IBM 1130 software that allowed for its use as a remote terminal into HASP. Clarke and Coe colleges both used that software as part of their RCC setup.

Appearing in the next two pictures are Bob Crabtree and Tom Simpson, respectively. They were the original two IBM development engineers for HASP. Bob is the person in the foreground in the first picture. Those in the background were HASP users from other universities or organizations.

Tom Simpson is standing in the next photo. Now, about the neckties. You will see both orange and blue ones below. Simpson was a University of Texas alum, and so he had declared that the official color for HASP would be orange. Many orange HASP ties were produced and purchased for use at these gatherings--I have one. The blue one came about because Charlie Forney decided that some friendly competition, on the part of Penn State and its blue color, would be a good thing.

Finally, here are Lee and Jim continuing to participate in the singing. The women on the left are my ex (no additional comments needed) and Linda, Lee's spouse.

After writing all of the above, I found an article with more on HASP. It even mentions the University of Iowa! Click here if you wish to read it.