The Burroughs Corporation was a major American manufacturer of business equipment. The company was founded in 1886 as the American Arithmometer Company by William Seward Burroughs. The company's history paralleled many of … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Formerly American Arithmometer Company (1886–1904)
Burroughs Adding Machine Company (1904–1953)
Industry Business equipment
Adding machines
Mainframe computers
Founded 1886; 140 years ago (1886)
Factsheet
Formerly American Arithmometer Company (1886–1904)
Burroughs Adding Machine Company (1904–1953)
Industry Business equipment
Adding machines
Mainframe computers
Founded 1886; 140 years ago (1886)
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Burroughs_Corporation
Burroughs Corporation - Wikipedia
February 15, 2026 - The company was founded in 1886 as the American Arithmometer Company by William Seward Burroughs. The company's history paralleled many of the major developments in computing. At its start, it produced mechanical adding machines, and later moved into programmable ledgers and then computers.
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Computer History Museum
computerhistory.org › brochures › a-c › com-42b9d3a6a3885
Burroughs Corporation | Selling the Computer Revolution | Computer History Museum
Burroughs created many highly regarded computer systems in the 1960s and 1970s and eventually merged with the makers of the Univac computers (Sperry Rand) to form Unisys.
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University of Minnesota Archival Collections
archives.lib.umn.edu › repositories › 3 › resources › 222
Collection: Burroughs Corporation records | University of Minnesota Archival Collections Guides
In 1953 the Burroughs Adding Machine Company was renamed the Burroughs Corporation, a name more reflective of their broad scope of products. They still had a strong market in adding and calculating machines, especially at banks and similar institutions. However, they were also moving into the computer field about this time.
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Computing History
computinghistory.org.uk › sec › 2968 › Burroughs-Corporation
Burroughs Corporation - Computing History
4 days ago - Burroughs was one of the eight major United States computer companies (with IBM, the largest, Honeywell, NCR Corporation, Control Data Corporation, General Electric, RCA and UNIVAC) through most of the 1960s.
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Computing History
computinghistory.org.uk › det › 8226 › Burroughs-Corporation
Burroughs Corporation - Company - Computing History
6 days ago - The Burroughs Corporation began in 1886 as the American Arithmometer adding machine Company in St.The Burroughs Corporation began in 1886 as the American Arithmometer adding machine Company in St. ...
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Burroughsinfo
burroughsinfo.com › historical-timeline.html
Historical Timeline - Burroughs Adding Machine Company
Burroughs Ticketeer ticketing systems enter pilot installations at railroads. P 400 multiple total adding machine released. ... The Company’s name is changed from the Burroughs Adding Machine Company to the Burroughs Corporation.
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Burroughsinfo
burroughsinfo.com › history-by-burroughs-june-1983.html
"History" by Burroughs (June 1983) - Burroughs Adding Machine Company
While Burroughs efforts were again directed toward production of commercial machines in the post-war period, World War II had marked the beginning of a major turning point for Burroughs. The war had accelerated the development of electronic technology, including the potential for development of the electronic computer. Beginning in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Company's growth was in four principle areas: electronic development, computer systems, and diverse products which supported banking and business applications.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Burroughs_Large_Systems
Burroughs Large Systems - Wikipedia
1 month ago - "Burroughs Large Systems" referred ... B3000, and B4000) or the flexible-architecture Small Systems (B1000). Founded in the 1880s, Burroughs was the oldest continuously operating company in computing (Elliott Brothers was founded before Burroughs, but did not make computing ...
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Kiddle
kids.kiddle.co › Burroughs_Corporation
Burroughs Corporation facts for kids
October 17, 2025 - The Burroughs Corporation was a big American company that made business machines. It started in 1886 as the American Arithmometer Company. The founder was William Seward Burroughs I. In 1986, Burroughs joined with Sperry UNIVAC to create a new ...
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Science Museum Group
collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk › home › people › burroughs corporation
Burroughs Corporation | Science Museum Group Collection
In 1953, the Burroughs Adding Machine Company was renamed the Burroughs Corporation and began moving into computer products, initially for banking institutions. Burroughs purchased the Californian ElectroData Corporation in 1956, an amalgamation that would give way to the B205 tube computer.
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Smithsonian Institution
si.edu › spotlight › adding-machines › full-keyboard-burroughs
Full-Keyboard – Burroughs | Smithsonian Institution
Burroughs Corporation inventors devoted attention to electronic computers, but did not attempt to design electronic calculators. In 1963 it gave many of the models and machines from its Patent Department collection to the Smithsonian.
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Columbia University
columbia.edu › cu › computinghistory › burroughs.html
Short Burroughs History
January 5, 2005 - All of them were born at the Pasadena Plant, originally known as Burroughs Electrodata Division (EDD), which was originally the Electrodata Corporation, bought by Burroughs in the early 1950s to get them out of adding machines and into computers.
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Historic Detroit
historicdetroit.org › buildings › one-ford-place
One Ford Place — Historic Detroit
February 10, 2025 - For instance, Burroughs designed the core memory system for the world’s first electronic general-purpose computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (or ENIAC, for short), in 1953. The firm also continued to hold multiple government contracts after the war. That said, banking institutions and large corporations continued to be Burroughs’ main clientele. The firm adopted the slogan, “Wherever there’s business, there’s Burroughs,” which they would use for decades. As the company entered the 1950s, it had more than 550 sales branches and service centers across the country and Canada, and more than 200 locations around the world.
Address   1 Ford Place, Detroit, Mich.
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OCLC
researchworks.oclc.org › archivegrid › collection › data › 63282918
ArchiveGrid : Burroughs Corporation collection, 1886-1990
The Burroughs Corporation was one of the largest adding machine and electronic computer manufacturers in the United States. It began as the American Arithmometer Company in 1886, founded in St.
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YouTube
youtube.com › playlist
Computer History: Burroughs Corporation, its early computers - YouTube
Through vintage films and photos, we take an historical look at early Burroughs Corporation digital computers. Burroughs, founded in 1886, became famous for ...
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The Henry Ford
thehenryford.org › explore › blog › wherever-there-s-business-there-s-burroughs
“Wherever There’s Business There’s Burroughs” - Blog - The Henry Ford
July 27, 2020 - In 1953, to reflect its increasingly diverse product and service offerings, the company was renamed the Burroughs Corporation, and was recognized as a single outlet for a variety of business management products. One of the most significant acquisitions came in 1956, when Burroughs acquired ElectroData Corporation of Pasadena, California. This allowed Burroughs to further expand into the electronic computing market and led to the development of the B5000 series in 1961, which was celebrated as a groundbreaking scientific and business computer.
Call   313-982-6001
Address   20900 Oakwood Boulevard, 48124-5029, Dearborn, MI
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Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com › item
Interesting read. Why wasn't the Burroughs more successful? | Hacker News
May 3, 2016 - C and UNIX got widely adopted, because AT&T wasn't allowed to sell it, so they gave the source code for free to universities. Which then used the code to replace the expensive OSes that they were running on their mainframes · When AT&T was allowed to charge for it afterwards, they tried to ...
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University of Minnesota Archival Collections
archives.lib.umn.edu › agents › corporate_entities › 326
Burroughs Corporation | University of Minnesota Archival Collections Guides
Contains private consulting reports commissioned by government agencies and businesses on subjects including computer systems, peripherals, robots, software, computer input-output equipment, storage devices, terminals, magnetic tapes, optical character recognition devices, printers, punched card systems, and computer markets. Access to reports under twenty years old is completely restricted. Additional restrictions may apply for reports commissioned by companies. ... The collection contains the records of the Burroughs Corporation, and its predecessors the American Arithmometer Company and Burroughs Adding Machine Company.
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TIME
time.com › u.s.
Corporations: Computing Success | TIME
Burroughs has since developed automated check-reading devices, computers and a new family of moderately priced electronic “business systems” that handle accounting, inventory, payroll, production programming and record keeping for banks or businesses that do not want a high-powered computer system. Clerk to Chairman. Burroughs “sells more adding machines than ever before,” according to Chairman Ray R. Eppert, 64, although it has long since dropped the manufacturing of typewriters and cash registers. The company has capitalized on its years of experience with such hand-operated machinery by applying it to the mechanical aspects of computer technology: punch-card processing, preliminary programming and complex operating instructions.
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NNDB
nndb.com › company › 145 › 000116794
Burroughs
Founded 1886 as the American Arithmometer Company. In 1904 it was renamed to Burroughs Adding Machine Company and relocated to Detroit. Merged in 1986 with Sperry Rand to form Unisys · Corporate headquarters: Detroit, MI