Indeed, Wirt is right, or I maybe John Kemeney didn't want us to think
we were "beginners."  The "system" was a GE-235 with a teletype for
"user interface."  I used it for, among other things, doing calculations
for chemistry lab.  It nicely replaced the slide rule and you didn't
have to do all the "scientific notation" to get the decimal point right.
Worth the sort walk to Kiewitt.

Bruce.
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  Bruce J. Senn                 Phone:  (518) 388-6664
  Senior System Manager         FAX:    (518) 388-6458
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-----Original Message-----
From: Wirt Atmar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 5:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: OT: Acronym

Bruce writes:

> I always thought it was
>
>  Basic All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.
>
>  I believe I heard it from the man himself, John Kemeney.

Close. It's "Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code." It was
originally designed as an instructional language but was soon picked up
in
the engineering community as a very simple but powerful method to
program
instruments, calculators and controllers.

Wirt Atmar

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