Linda Hayes, 16 May 2018

Item

MS. 15797 digital 9

Born digital audio recording of interview with Linda Hayes, former head of User Services at the Oxford Computing Service
Link to digital surrogate

Comprises:

Born digital audio of track 1 of interview with Linda Hayes, former Head of User Services at the Oxford Computing Service, conducted by Georgina Ferry, 16 May 2018. Running time 1:02:06, topics include:

(00:00:40) first interest in computing; early schooling and family life
(00:02:54) first degree in Maths at Exeter University
(00:04:06) career choices after university, applying to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and some computing companies
(00:05:01) diploma in Numerical Analysis and Automatic Computing at University of Cambridge, 1964
(00:07:46) valve machines and programming languages used
(00:09:19) decision to go to Oxford after diploma; employment at Oxford as computing service departmental research assistant and working for Leslie Fox, 1965
(00:12:41) users of the KDF9 computer
(00:13:24) location history of the computing department at Oxford
(00:17:15) helpdesk work
(00:18:48) colleagues, gender of computer operator staff
(00:22:12) working with the users of the KDF9 computer
(00:25:49) Numerical Analysis Group (NAG) origins and group members
(00:29:27) Brian Ford's idea behind NAG, name changes of the group
(00:31:40) workings of early NAG
(00:32:31) translation of programme languages
(00:35:37) Oxford Computing Service at Banbury Road
(00:36:43) Susan Hockey, computing in the arts
(00:38:50) Carol Bateman and teaching for the computing service, developing courses and expanding
(00:44:19) female colleagues at Oxford Computing Service and managing staff, staff hierarchy, working as a female for the computing service
(00:49:45) equipment at the Oxford Computing Service
(00:52:18) anecdotes about KDF9 machine room, reliability of the machines
(00:56:29) BBC Micros, teaching the KERMIT programme course
(00:58:30) network of different universities computing services
(01:00:44) introduction of personal computers.

(item 2) born digital audio of interview track 2 with Linda Hayes. Running time 00:27:24. Topics include:

(00:02:20) job offers at IBM and ICL before coming to Oxford
(00:04:00) University library and office computers
(00:04:51) working with local history
(00:05:58) reasons for leaving the computing service, early retirement
(00:08:25) University card system of users
(00:10:00) being a fellow of St. Cross college, time spent after retirement
(00:11:40) origins of the single sign on system for university computers and help centre
(00:14:57) paper documentation of the Oxford Computing Service
(00:21:05) Christopher Strachey of Programming Research Group (PRG).