Our Premier Event of 2011: "Ken Olsen Tribute Day" in Maynard at the Mill  ... featuring the 1st Screening of the PBS documentary Digital_Man/ Digital_World  - watch 2-min. movie trailer here
 

When: Saturday, October 22, 2011, 2-7:30 PM

Where: Cafeteria (entrance across Blue Coyote Restaurant near post office on Main St.) and Auditorium at Clock Tower Place (The Mill), near 146 Main Street, Maynard MA.  Enter thru patio of cafe, pass white fence - look for signs/balloons.

Sponsors: 

• The DEC Connection

• Clock Tower Place

• The Town of Maynard

• The Maynard Historical Society

• Gordon College

• Legacy Financial Advisors - special thanks to Paul Mauro (508-482-9336) and his team of financial experts for their ongoing support.

• 2 and 3 PM: Clock Tower Place (The Mill) - 20- minute Walking Tours
• 2 - 4 PM: Maynard Historical Society/Gordon College Exhibits of Ken's Memorabilia
  • See list of memorabilia and photos below
• 4 - 5:30 PM: Preview showing of the PBS Special on Ken Olsen, Digital_Man / Digital_World will be in Clock Tower Place, courtesy of Gordon College and Covenant Productions.  Special Panel Discussion after the movie will include the producer of the film, Don Boggs; Dan Tymann, VP Gordon College, and Rod Sutherland, our own Corporate Ambassador. 
• 5:30 -7:30 PM: DEC Connection Social party

Maynard Historical Society and Gordon College Exhibits of Ken's Memorabilia

Link to photos in Gallery
• Variety of magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and Digital internal publications featuring Ken.
• Digital 25th anniversary memorabilia (from both Digital and the Town of Maynard)
• Sampling of Digital publications spanning 1960s through the 1990s.
• A wooden "Digital Truck" from Ken's office.
• A few of Ken's Digital ties.
• A selection of Ken's personal notebooks from MIT, Digital, and Modular.
• A sample of magnetic core memory
• DEC Modules (first products sold by Digital)
• A sample System Building Block (2nd generation module sold by Digital)
• A PDP-8 front panel.
• A Digital PC signed by Intel founder Andy Grove.
• A StorageWorks cabinet designed by Ken (one of the final projects before departing Digital)
• A helicopter tail rotor blade signed by Digital Aviation employees.
• A paddle from Ken's office.
• Plaque: IEEE Founder Medal
• Plaque: National Medal of Technology
• Rotating slideshow of photographs, some photo albums.

Thanks to Dave Griffin of the MHS for putting these exhibits together. Dave can be reached at davebets@mac.com

*The Maynard Historical Society meets in the lower level of Maynard Town Hall, 195 Main Street, the 4th Monday of each month. The meetings start at 7pm and are open to the public. Light refreshments and some social time are available after the meeting. www.maynardhistory.org

Click here for photo slide show from Jack Mileski

Photos from Historical Society Exhibit, Movie/Panel Discussion, and Reception

                    Special thanks to Rod Sutherland for taking Reception photos following his Panel duty.

         Welcome to the Tour of Clock Tower Place (the “Mill”)

A Bit of History

The Mill was built in the mid-1800s and, among other things, was a factory that made blankets and uniforms for the Union Army during the Civil War.

Before Digital established itself, most of us remember the historical photos and stories of the Assabet Woolen Company and its successor, the American Woolen Mill.

The town of Maynard was carved out of the Towns of Stow and Sudbury. The boundaries of the town were formed by measuring the walking distance to the Mill by its workers.

After the departure of the American Woolen Company in the early 1950s, the Mill became the location of many diversified companies and organizations.

Digital was founded in Bldg 12 (the main entrance) in 1957. Eventually, Digital expanded so much that it purchased the Mill outright and occupied it virtually entirely.

Finally, the Mill was bought by Wellesley Companies, a privately held, 86 years old Real Estate Development and Management Company. The “Mill” was renamed “Clock Tower Place” as of Jan 1, 1998 and is now almost fully occupied by more than 100 companies with more than 3500 employees.

Currently there is space for lease in Clock Tower Place.  Contact Joe Mullin for information.  jmullin@wellesley.com; Phone: 978-823-8200  www.clocktowerplace.com

History of Some of the Mill’s Buildings from Digital’s Days:

• Bldg 12: This building was where Digital was founded. Ken Olsen had his offices there for many years.

• Bldg 10: Eventually, this became where Ken had his HQs and offices and the Board Room.

• Bldg 2: Many of you probably remember that there were chicken wire and storage spaces along several floors of this building. However, its most famous Digital heritage is this is where the VAX/VMS team developed the most successful minicomputers of its time.

• Bldg 4: This is where the existing Ken Olsen (formerly the Gen. Doriot) Conference Center is located.

• Bldg 5: Bldg 5 was occupied by manufacturing, the board shop, Software Engineering, Product Lines, and others.

• Bldg 3 (formerly Bldg 1): Bldg 1 was primarily a Manufacturing facility, although it was later occupied by elements of Central Engineering, and others.

• Bldg 1 (formerly Bldg 21): was home of SW Maintenance and LDP.