Carl Rench Oral History
This interview focuses on Rench’s
recollections of Joe Desch. Rench got his
electrical engineering degree from Ohio State
University and went to work for National Cash
Register (NCR) in 1946, when he returned from
military service. Rench, Bob Mumma ,and Joe
Desch worked with each other in a variety of
engineering, research, and management roles in the
next several decades. Desch was not much
present the first few years: his work on the Bombe
project during World War II had led him to a
nervous breakdown (both from the innate strains of
the work and from the particular hassles of
dealing with one Navy Captain Ralph Meader).
Desch did not ever again seek out positions with
high management responsibility, perhaps to avoid
another nervous breakdown. Rench and
Desch worked together in NCR’s attempts to
design a programmable electronic accounting
machine. Desch was influential in trying to
steer NCR towards computer research—failing
to get them to do their own research in the 1940s,
succeeding in getting them to buy Computer
Research Corporation (CRC) in the 1950s, and
eventually in getting them to realize that CRC
technology was not up to snuff, and that they
would have to use other companies’
computers for some NCR devices. Desch was
influential in NCR strategic decisions until ca.
1960, when Bob Chollar, whom Desch did not much
care for, took over. Desch then withdraw
from his strategic advisor role, though he
continued to act as a mentor and advisor to Rench
as he made the transition into management
roles. In the 1960s Desch did continuing
research, establishing an NCR leadership role in
thermal printers. He died in 1987.
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1-3
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Began
working for NCR in 1946, where he
met Joe Desch. Organization of
research and development at NCR,
positions of Desch and Rench
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3-5
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Possible
causes of Desch's nervous breakdown.
The Bombe project
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5-7
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Desch
and Rench's roles in the acquisition
of CRC, and in NCR work with GE
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7-8
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Desch
and tube design
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8-9
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Collaboration
among Desch, Rench, and Mumma
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9-10
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Desch
and the Bombe project
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11-13
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Desch's
management style. His work at NCR
after 1960. Differences with Bob Chollar
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13-14
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Desch
and thermal printing at NCR
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14-15
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Chollar
and the acquisition of ECI
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15-16
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The
late Desch. Desch as Rench's mentor.
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16-18
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Projects
at NCR in which Desch, Rench, and
Mumma were involved.
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NCR
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National
Cash Register
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CRC
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Computer
Research Corporation
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GE
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General Electric
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ECI
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Electronic
Communications Incorporated
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