This black & white educational film is about the progress of IBM as a company and what their products are and will be. This was made in 1956.

Opening (no credits): Film dedicated to the late Thomas J. Watson, who served as the CEO of International Business Machines. He oversaw the company’s growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956. A message from Thomas Watson, Jr. Watson, Jr. was the son of Thomas J. Watson, and the 2nd company president. He served as the chairman and CEO during IBM’s most explosive period of growth, leading the company from the age of mechanical tabulators and typewriters into the computer era. Members of his team are introduced: Executive President L.H. LaMotte, Executive President A.L. Williams, President of the World Trade Corporation A.K. Watson, Vice President T.V. Learson, and Vice President H.W. Miller Jr. (:08-4:40). Credits: IBM Corporation Progress Report (6:10-6:50). Walter Cronkite talks about IBM and presents company statistics (6:51-8:15). 3500 Become Customer Engineers. Endicott, NY, a customer engineer student listens to J.J. Kenny, vice president of service, as he gives an address. The student looks at a machine and starts to open it (8:16-11:36). IBM Builds Six New Plants. Executive President A.L. Williams, Vice President H.W. Miller Jr., and R.F. Boedecker, manager of facilities planning. A new electric typewriter plant in Lexington, KY. Owego, NY, military products division. Sherman, TX, new punch card plant. Endicott, NY, a modern education building. Kingston, NY, the giant SAGE computer (SAGE was designed to detect atomic bomb-carrying Soviet bombers and guide missiles to intercept them) and the electric typewriter are built there. H. W. Reese Jr., general manager of electric typewriter division. Rochester, MN plant, scheduled for completion in 1957. San Jose, CA, construction (11:37-15:13). Research Laboratory Opens In Switzerland. Zurich, Switzerland, a car drives to the IBM plant in town. Thomas Watson Jr. and A. K. Watson walk towards the plant (15:14-17:08). Production Line For Computers in Endicott, NY. IBM 650 computers. Assembly of an IBM 700 and 705. The 705 has a magnetic core memory unit to remember 40,000 individual characters. Women assemble transistors. Interior of the 608 computer (17:09-20:07). Press Previews New Products. Norfolk, VA where the IBM 350 Ramac’s are made. Sign for the U.S. Naval Air Station in Norfolk. Executive President L.H. LaMotte and G.E. Jones, division sales manager describe the machine. IBM 350 Ramac is shown. Broome County Airport. Endicott, NY, Greyhound bus. Thomas J. Watson, Jr talks about the new products. Vice President T.V. Learson demonstrates the IBM 650. A electric typewriter (20:08-23:09). Computer Program Aids Education. Stanford University in California.650 and 700 IBM computers (23:10-24:57). New IBM Subsidiary Formed. Men at a table plan: O.M. Scott leads the new corporation SBC (Service Bureau Corporation), W.T. McGloughlin, the manager of field operations, points at a map. IBM 650 computers at work. IBM 700 computer. O.M. Scott, T.W. McClane, vice president of SBC, Bruce Oldfield, NY Data processing manager.(24:58-28:22). IBM On Display, Paris and New York. River Seine, the Eiffel Tower. A sign for Salon International, de L’equipment de Bureau. IBM tent. Typewriters & clocks. New York City, NY Coliseum where IBM unveiled new products at the National Business Show. Featured is: the new file feed for the 83 Sorter. Card proof punch machine, features of Ramac 720 printer. Electronic typewriters (28:23-31:14). SAGE Builds U.S. Defenses. People hustle towards a military jet. Outposts of SAGE. Military Products Division in Kingston, NY, a car pulls up. General Alfred R. Maxwell, commander of Rome AFB, with IBM execs. New SAGE computers shown. R.P. Krego, general manager of the military products plant explains. Jet interceptors fly (31:15-33:19). Planners For the Future. Men at a table sit and discuss: W.W. Simmons, M.J. Cammy, P.O. Crawford, Jr., P.F. Lewis and K.B. McGloughlin. They talk about how computers of the future will benefit mankind (33:20-34:37). Walter Cronkite wraps up (34:38-35:33). End credits (35:34-35:41).

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