Messages in FedEx ITD Retiree Breakfast Club group.
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Gary Phillips10/8/2013
Ground broke on the SH in '79. Basch left in '79 or '80. According to the timeline posted here, Weise was assigned the sort facility in '73.
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/8/2013
I worked on the Superhub computer systems on startup around 1980. Mike Basch was over the project then.
Johnnie Edwards10/8/2013
i was talking first sorting hub......i was there in 73........dont remember Ted or Mike around hub at that time........if talking Superhub, then Mike would be correct!!!!
Gary Phillips10/8/2013
You're the one that said 'nope'. Weise had the first sort facility and Basch had the SH.
Subject: Thanks to Buddy Johnson for forwarding this time lapse video of a FedEx Boeing 767 being built.
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/4/2013
Jack Brown10/4/2013
cool....
Linda Cook Thorn10/4/2013
Thanks Buddy. My Grandsons will love seeinig this. Pretty emotional for me. Miss FedEx!
Subject: Note: if you request to join this group and don't list fedex or aren't friends of anyone in the grou ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/4/2013
Note: if you request to join this group and don't list fedex or aren't friends of anyone in the group, you will probably be rejected. Send a message if you do meet this criteria. we are getting requests that don't seem to have any relation to fedex, the ITD department and aren't friends of anyone in the group. Thanks.
John Czap10/5/2013
DEAR JIM, I THINK I MADE A MISTAKE BY REQUESTING TO JOIN YOUR RETIREE CLUB. I WORKED FOR FEDEX EIGHTEEN YEARS, AND WAS A FORMER FLYING TIGER. PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLGY, JOHN
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/5/2013
If you worked for FedEx and want to join our gorup, that is fine, I got about 60 requests this week and half didn't seem to have any connection to the company. thanks, jimmy
Subject: FedEx Trivia Question
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/4/2013
FedEx Trivia QuestionThis Facebook group is for the FedEx ITD group and friends to rehash FedEx & IT history and early history of FedEx.What was the ITD(Information & Telecommunications Division) group originally called?
Vicki Shirey Sanders10/4/2013
CSD corporate systems development.
Denis Charles Mattingly10/4/2013
Advanced Systems
Jack Brown10/4/2013
Electronic Products
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/4/2013
Answer: All of IT was called Federal Express Data Systems; COS was called the Advanced Systems Group
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/4/2013
Electronic Products was the name given to Chuck Winston's group when he had Zapmail & Telcom. Chuck reported to Jim Barksdale. Ron Ponder had the IT and Ops Research organization at that time, and he also reported to JimB. After Chuck left the company hastily, Ron Ponder also assumed Chuck's organization responsibilities.
Marie McVay10/4/2013
The BEST darn group at FedEx!! š
Jim Bentley10/5/2013
Jimmy, you forget, we were the retarded systems group!!
John Toscano10/5/2013
COS started in 1978 as ASD. Advanced Systems Division. The title lasted for only a few months.
Margaret Canon Bruch10/5/2013
Telecommunications
Subject: NO coffee on carpet!
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/4/2013
NO coffee on carpet!Jim Moore relayed the following story early in FedEx history.When Federal Express started in Memphis, staff were located in 3 old hangars at the airport next to the first sorting facility. FWS finally got some carpet installed in his office and conference room. Word went out: 'If you bring coffee into FWS's conference room...you better have a tray or saucer under that cup....'
Subject: The Payroll system was initially batch only. MSA. Who wrote the first IMS applications to give it on ...
David Warren10/5/2013
The Payroll system was initially batch only. MSA. Who wrote the first IMS applications to give it online visibility?
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/5/2013
good question...was there an online system on the Burroughs before we got on the ibm...or was the ibm app the first one?
David Warren10/5/2013
Burroughs was before my time,,,,1985.....
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/5/2013
a wild guess: Steve Steiling?????
David Warren10/5/2013
LoL....No, me!!!
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/5/2013
Congratulations on being a pioneer to the online world....who was your manager, and was it written in Cobol?
David Warren10/5/2013
Hubert Fisher was the manager. Jim Candler the Sr Manager. I believe the "checks" screen is still in use today.....IMS/Cobol
Charlotte Bergmann10/6/2013
I remember Hubert Fisher. I worked with him briefly in Personnel.
Melissa Leech Ziemer10/6/2013
David, I use checks every Wednesday to look at my upcoming paystub & have shown countless couriers & agents how to use it over the years. It's a big help to hourly workers whose paycheck varies week to week.
David Warren10/6/2013
There were also some hourly preprocessor screens done like "hrsrpted", "hrspaid", etc...
Buddy Johnson10/8/2013
Actually, the team that brought the MSA Payroll online as part of the CASPER (later PRISM) system include Warren Cooper, David W, another David (can't remember his last name) and me. Quite a few of the Payroll screens are still used as is the batch Personnel and Payroll apps. Candler was over the PICC area in Personnel department.
Subject: My perspective is from the end user. I've been a service agent (face to face customer interaction at ...
Melissa Leech Ziemer10/5/2013
My perspective is from the end user. I've been a service agent (face to face customer interaction at the counter) for almost 30 years. I've really enjoyed reading the comments from the IT perspective, especially the ones from the 80's & 90's. I remember sending timecards & daily cash/checks (separately) to Memphis nightly for data entry & processing. The supertrackers were great since we didn't have to look up zip codes to route packages using those stinky black markers.
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz:
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/5/2013
FedEx Trivia Quiz:When Federal Express started in the mid 70's there was no data network. If you needed to contact someone or trace a package, you picked up the phone and called the station.Later, online systems were put in place and some data circuits were installed to the stations providing terminals or teletypes at the stations and customer service.Question #1: A very basic type of electronic mail was used at first, that airlines used, somewhat like texting today. What was this called?Question #2: When FedEx's data processing was switched to IBM, many were put on the IBM mail system? What was this called?Question #3: When there were capacity issues with the IBM email system, a third party email system, was used on the mainframe. What was the name of this email system?
Carl Wayne Hardeman10/5/2013
2 PROFS
Charles Morgan10/5/2013
Answer to #3 - Lotus Notes?
Carl Wayne Hardeman10/5/2013
3 EMC thanks to Ben Moore
Subject: Please join us at the FedEx Retiree Club this Thursday. The upcoming MEMPHIS FERC LUNCHEON is Octobe ...
Charlotte Bergmann10/6/2013
Please join us at the FedEx Retiree Club this Thursday. The upcoming MEMPHIS FERC LUNCHEON is October 10, 2013. This club is chaired by former Memphis Hub VP, Karl Birkholz.
Subject: 'Got No Time for SuperHub ....'
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/6/2013
'Got No Time for SuperHub ....'Shortly after Zapmail was launched, Jim Barksdale transferred John Schwarzmann, Brad Simmons and me to the newly formed Satellite group headed by Alan McArtor. We were located at the Ridgeway location where Advanced Projects group had been located.We were to look at a new bus sized satellite where customers could utilize very small satellite dishes to send electronic documents cheaper than over the att/mci type land networks.A deposit was given to Hughes to start design of the satellite, a slot on a future shuttle launch was received. We continued to talk to companies and countries that could launch large payloads ie France, China etcThe Governor of some entity in China visited Memphis. His province launched satellites and FedEx gave him an overview of our goals and schedule. He had a translator throughout the presentation.After the meeting Gil Mook(the vp) told the Governor, thru the translator 'We have booked you a personally guided SuperHub tour tonight'The Governor then spoke for the first time in English..
'Got No Time for SuperHub.........Go see Elvis House!'So a tour of Elvis Presley's mansion was booked for him...........
Don Rose10/6/2013
LOL! Now that is funny.
Linda Cook Thorn10/6/2013
He's Don. That is hilarious !!
Linda Cook Thorn10/6/2013
Meant 'yes' Don!
Jack Brown10/6/2013
Priceless.
Subject: Wang History In the early 80's there were few computer/green screens. I you wanted to send a memo yo ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/7/2013
Wang History
In the early 80's there were few computer/green screens. I you wanted to send a memo you found a typewriter. FedEx was testing this new thing called Word Processing with Wang & Jacquard. Jacquard didn't make the cut, and the expensive Wang terminals started showing up on admin's desks. These terminals were connected to a Wang minicomputer...also very expensive.One young programmer started writing applications on the Wang which interfaced to the mainframe. He got so good at it, that Wang offered him a job. Jim Barksdale had to decide if he wanted to match their offer. He decided that there were just too many senior programmers waiting for promotions and he didn't want to bypass them. He decided to let him go, and said something like 'when he gets more experience, I'll just hire him back'...and that is what he did. The young programmer returned to work in Data Systems several years later.Who was this person?
David Warren10/7/2013
Jim Candler?
Marie McVay10/7/2013
Those old dang Wang sheet feeders weighed a ton!
Subject: Requirements to Join the ITD Retiree Breakfast Club
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/7/2013
Requirements to Join the ITD Retiree Breakfast ClubFrom this date, those requesting to join this group should have worked in ITD at FedEx or worked with ITD or are friends with someone in ITD to be approved for the group. If you meet these qualifications and it isn't related in your 'About' Profile, then message me.I received well over 200 requests to join this group in the past week, and I can't keep up with reviewing the requests.Intention of the group is to share history of FedEx with those that worked with fedex.The group will still be open for all to review, and if you have a story or comment you would like to have posted and aren't in ITD or the group, just message me and I'll review and post.I am thankful for all the interest, and I am retired, but stay very busy and can't devote the time to reviewing requests from everyone. Thanks for your understanding.Jimmy
Joe Priest10/7/2013
Hey Jimmy, I'm retired courier, dispatcher and Sal. Thought this was for all FedEx. Please disregard my request to join your group. Joe
Linda She10/14/2013
I Jimmy disregard My Request as well I was all over the hub....Then Operations Agent for Fleet Mgr....Thought is was for all Fedex....Linda
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/14/2013
Linda no problem, it is for those interested in FedEx or friends with IT; I was just getting too many requests to handle in a short time.
Linda She10/14/2013
spent 17 yrs...this would have been my 25th year...
Subject: FedEx History Trivia Quiz?
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/8/2013
FedEx History Trivia Quiz?In the mid 70's, for several years the Russian Wheat Harvest failed?How did this indirectly and dramatically change the direction of Federal Express' IT division?
Buddy Johnson10/8/2013
FedEx was able to buy Cook IndI IT which came with a good slot
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/8/2013
Buddy is right! Cook Industries in Memphis sold much grain to Russia and was one of the top 3 grain commodity companies in the world. they hedged too heavily on the russians crop failing another year, and took heavy losses. For that reason, they offered Federal Express their computer staff, ibm system and a future slot on a larger IBM mainframe. That is how we changed from Burroughs mainframes to IBM and got a number of people with IBM expertise.
Carl Wayne Hardeman10/8/2013
ARA switched from rye to whole wheat?
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/8/2013
Followup question: Which exec from FedEx and which exec from Cook, were at church when the subject of Fedex taking over Cook's IT staff, first started the ball rolling on the buyout?
Don Rose10/8/2013
Jim Barksdale from Cook.
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/8/2013
Jim Barksdale is correct from Cook....
Buddy Johnson10/8/2013
Art bass was the other exec
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/8/2013
Answer, Person from FedEx: Pete Wilmott
from Sharon (Smith) Lucius from www.fedexlegends.info site:
"It was actually orchestrated by Pete Willmott and Mr. B. They went to church together and evidently discussed it during church because that Sunday he called me and asked if Iād meet him at the officeā¦..and that began the sale. The main lawyer who worked so hard on the deal was named John Coralew (sp). He was really, really young looking but brilliant! He died less than a year later after the sale of pancreatic cancer. He died way too young!
My favorite memory of the whole āsaleā ordeal, was the FedEx and Cook people sitting in a room trying to decide over the number of office space that FedEx would assumeā¦and the cost per foot. Mr. B was there, along with Howie Bedford, the lawyers. Anyway, everyone was trying to use their calculators to come up with the right numbers and it was Beford, using pencil and paper that calculated the whole thing before anyone could finish using their little machines. It blew me away!"
Subject: FedEx Trivia Question for you techies with good memories:
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
FedEx Trivia Question for you techies with good memories:What was this device?Who programmed it?
Ezra Fried10/9/2013
Wow!!! It looks like an Epson Meter. I still have one of those mini-cassette tapes lying around somewhere.
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
Ezra is correct, Epson Meter, deployed as a customer automation device after the Apple Computer and Vector computers were used. It used small cassette tapes to record billing information. Cassettes were sent to FedEx, where I think Jimmy Sowells group collected and dumped the tapes. Who was the initial programmer who wrote the first program, and was later hired by Federal Express?
Chris Apalodimas10/9/2013
That would be Steve Stewart.
I wrote the original instructions for the couriers/station to take the tape cassette (basically unapplied cash transactions) and send it in to MEM for processing. This was the original manual PIPELINE process.
We kicked off the program, without any system ready to read these cassette tapes. After a few months we had boxes of these cassette tapes still waiting to be processed sitting in a room at Clarke Tower.
The original Epson meter program was under Sales, Craig Bell was the VP at the time. We did testing at Holiday Inn and Otis Elevator as I recall.
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
Chris = correct!
Subject: For you techies, match the computer language for the FedEx product:
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
For you techies, match the computer language for the FedEx product:1. First Customer Automation device
2. DADS
3. COSMOS
4. First SuperHub sort controllers
5. FedEx SuperTracker
6. Ops Research Models in the '80s
7. First Billing Systema. 360 Assembler
b. PL/1
c. RSX-11M assembler
d. Z80/8080 Assembler
e. BASIC
f. FORTH
g. COBOL
Chris Apalodimas10/9/2013
1e 2d 3a 4c 5f 6b 7g (I think I've got at least 4 out of 7!
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
Chris did get 4 out 7
Ben Moore10/9/2013
6f 3g 7a Is that the rest?
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
correction: Chris got 1e, 3a, 5f, 6b & 7g
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
Winn Stephenson got them all 1. e
2. c
3. a
4. d
5. f
6. b
7. g
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
1. First Customer Automation device
BASIC by Mark Ramsey & Lydle Simpson
on an Apple II
2. DADS
RSX-11M Assembler on DEC 11/34
by Jimmy Burk & Jim Bentley
3. COSMOS
Prototyped on a Burroughs 6700, but deployed
in IBM 360 Assembler under ACP by COS
4. First SuperHub sort controllers
Rapistan controllers 8080/Z80 Assembler
5. FedEx SuperTracker
FORTH by Forth Inc, & COS development
6. Ops Research Models in the '80s
Originally in IBM assembly, but in the 80's PL/1
7. First Billing System
On a Burroughs 2700, card punch in COBOL
Deby Abbott Jolley10/9/2013
Question: What *was* the first customer automation device?
Nancy Hinds10/9/2013
And THAT is why Winn was the boss!
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/16/2013
Automation devices in order: Apple II, Vector, Epson Meter, then various PCs including the NEC APC
Deby Abbott Jolley10/16/2013
I just found (re-found) your Origins of Customer Automation page at: http://www.fedexlegends.info/automation/automation.htm
Cool!!
Subject: from Ben Moore: Everybody remembers FORTE - Flight Operations Routing ... but who remembers TORTE - ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
from Ben Moore: Everybody remembers FORTE - Flight Operations Routing ... but who remembers TORTE - Trucking Operations Routing ...?What was INSIDE a Zapmailer? NEC APC 286.Who got stuck with all the unused Zapmailers? Econocom
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
If not mistaken, the zapmailers were sold cheap for scrap, and whomever eventually purchased them made $2 or $3M on the memory chips inside the machines. There was a shortage on dynamic ram chips that year and they were in demand. The printers, I think were standard laser printers and were used in other printer copiers.
Subject: Trivia Quiz:
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
Trivia Quiz:Sometime in late 80's or early 90's six hundred computer servers were purchased but never deployed in spite of the developers trying really hard to make them work. They were purchased by management before anyone looked at them, and they wouldn't communicate with COSMOS (ie SNA/SDLC links); they could only connect with an older Bisync protocol. They were warehoused for years until someone in the industry had a great need for that exact model, and they bought all 600.What was the name of these computer systems?
What were these to be used for?
John Toscano10/10/2013
We're those the OPTs for Zapmail?
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/10/2013
not opts
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/10/2013
Answer: NCR Tower Computers
Six hundred servers were purchased for use as a Business Service Center computer & cash register. A protocol converter was purchased to put it on the network, but for whatever reasons, that scenario didn't work out and they were warehoused.
Subject: Does anyone remember Vernitta Rogers?
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/9/2013
Does anyone remember Vernitta Rogers?
Liz Ciulla Carrozza10/9/2013
I remember the name.
Don Rose10/9/2013
I remember her well. She started at FedEx two weeks after I started.
Subject: Photo #1 Fred getting ready to fly our Falcon to the Smithsonian Museum. Paul Benbrook
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/10/2013
Photo #1
Fred getting ready to fly our Falcon to the Smithsonian Museum.
Paul Benbrook
Subject: Photo #2 Fred getting ready to fly our Falcon to the Smithsonian Museum. Paul Benbrook
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/10/2013
Photo #2
Fred getting ready to fly our Falcon to the Smithsonian Museum.
Paul Benbrook
Subject: Photo #3 Fred getting ready to fly our Falcon to the Smithsonian Museum. Paul Benbrook
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/10/2013
Photo #3
Fred getting ready to fly our Falcon to the Smithsonian Museum.
Paul Benbrook
Subject: How many remember Jimmy Sowell? Here is an interview with Jimmy, he came over with the original Cook ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/10/2013
How many remember Jimmy Sowell? Here is an interview with Jimmy, he came over with the original Cook IT staff.
Don Rose10/10/2013
I remember Jimmy very well too.
Ann Deloach Holman10/10/2013
Worked for him!!
Vicki Shirey Sanders10/10/2013
I do!
Charlotte Benton Hieronymus10/10/2013
Yep...I remember when Jimmy came over from Cook.
Connie Morgan10/10/2013
He was a legend for sure. Enjoyed his friendship.
Diane Conner White10/10/2013
Still see him. He was very good to me.
Buddy Johnson10/11/2013
Yes. Jimmy was one of the many "good guys" that came with Cook Industries IT. I also worked with his brother Harvey at Union Planters bank. Both great guys.
Carl Wayne Hardeman10/11/2013
Jimmy was one of my most favorite colleagues! I worked with his brother Harvey in another life.
Subject: Does anyone remember Larry Stoltenberg? I did an interview with Tom Bullion, and Tom relayed that it ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk10/11/2013
Does anyone remember Larry Stoltenberg? I did an interview with Tom Bullion, and Tom relayed that it was Larry who came up with the idea to use barcodes on the airbills.
Charlotte Benton Hieronymus10/11/2013
Yes, Larry and Tom was instrumental in starting up the COS location.
Buddy Johnson10/11/2013
Yes. Larry hired me in Nov 77. He left
FedEx around /before the acquisition
of Cook Ind .
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