During the summer of 1964 while in graduate school studying Physics I did't have much to do in the way course work or teaching so I had to get a job and earn some money. I had been taking some computer classes at OSU and knew FORTRAN, which is an acronym for FORmula TRANlator, and was invented by IBM in 1957. I talked to people and scouted around Columbus for jobs. One contact was an IBM computer salesman who handled main frame sales, which at this time, 1967, was all there was in the way of computers. The Personal Computer (PC) was still 13-15 years away from being invented.

The salesman told me that Columbia Gas Systems Research Department (RD) has just purchased and installed an IBM main frame and perhaps they had need for FORTRAN programers. So, I contacted the RD and was put in touch with John Towle, who was in charge of the Research Department's computer and programmers. We had a nice conservation and he did indeed have a position for a summer student. This was great! I had a job that paid good money and I could work with a computer.

The job was just during the summer and involved FORTRAN programming with several other programmer in the department. I believe we were working on the simulation of gas flow in steady-state as opposed to transient modeling which was a few year away from development. Basically we were construction a model of a pipeline that would tell if a certain size pipe under certain pressure conditions could handle the require flow of gas.

The RD people were great to work with and I would have like to stay longer but OSU math department wanted me to teach and it was great job and I never considered continuing on with the RD. The next summer, 1968, I was again in need of a summer job so I contacted John Towle again, and again he had a summer job for me.

About late July or early August, John called me into his office and made me an offer I couldn't refuse! I could go to work for the RD full time, play with the computer, have nice companions and double my salary. I couldn't say no and I didn't. I jumped at the offer with no second thought about teaching at OSU. John was a great boss and I enjoyed every minute I worked for him. In addition, he was a golf nut and played at a private club in Worthington, just north of Columbus. Several times he took me to his course to play, which I always enjoyed as it was and still is a great course

Over my 23 years with the Research Department I worked on many exciting projects, some I started myself. Others I did computer applications for other Research Engineers. My next stories involve these projects.