From "Ward of the State" to "Revolutionary Without a Movement": The Political Development of William C. Norris and Control Data Corporation, 1957–1986
David M. Hart is associate professor at the School of Public Policy, George Mason University.
Contact information: 4400 University Drive, MS 3C6, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. E-mail: dhart{at}gmu.edu.
Abstract
This article traces the political development of the Control Data Corporation (CDC) and its founder and chief executive officer, William C. Norris, from the firm’s formation in 1957 until his departure from its leadership in 1986. Norris was entrepreneurial in his political strategy, taking large risks to pursue what he perceived to be large opportunities in such areas as antitrust, trade policy, and poverty alleviation. Indeed, his perceptions of these opportunities often diverged substantially from those of others in the computer industry and the broader corporate and policy communities. The article links these differences to Norris’s personal circumstances, the business situation of CDC, and the broader politicalcurrents of the times. The experiences of Norris and CDC suggest that business historians need a more expansive and flexible conception of the political attitudes and behavior of business leadersand of the business-government relationship in the United States.