When the octal number 70044772 (idling in execution) reappeared on the Atlas computer console at 15.00 hours on August 15th, 1975, it signalled the end of a luncheon party and presentation to Jack Howlett, Director of the Atlas Computer Laboratory on the occasion or his retirement.
The Laboratory staff, together with a small group of friends and colleagues, gathered together to give him an informal luncheon party and afterwards Mr Christopher Jolliffe, one time director of Science Division, SRC presented him with a hall-marked sterling silver tumbler cup (a copy of a travellers' wine cup in use during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries).
In addition he was given a presentation piece constructed from parts of the Atlas and 1960A computers, and the original Atlas Visitors Book containing evidence of the national and international groups with whom the Laboratory has been in contact.
In making the presentation, Christopher Jolliffe referred to the happy choice of Jack Howlett as Director of the Laboratory, after the very difficult negotiations in 1961 which led to the purchase of the Ferranti Atlas 1 and the decision to make this powerful computer available not only to AERE and the high energy physicists of RHEL, but to ensure that other disciplines in the UK universities would also have a substantial share of the new resource.
Supporting the good wishes, Bob Churchhouse, formerly head of Programming Group and now at Cardiff University, reminded everyone of the rapid growth of computing and computers and the great influence that the Laboratory had exercised under Jack Howlett's leadership.
In thanking everyone for the gifts and the flowers to his wife, Joan, Dr Howlett noted that he had now worked for his living for 40 years almost to the day, and described the exhilaration of a young numerical analyst working for the LMS railway when his hard won hand calculations proved correct as a 50 ton steam locomotive was run up to leave the rails at the predicted 105 mph! He referred to the debt he owed to Professor Douglas Hartree, the distinguished numerical analyst, his supervisor at Manchester University and to the early days at Harwell when he was invited to set up the computing section. He was still capable of wonderment at this remarkable device - the computer - and hoped that the initiatives and flexible approach to new problems which had marked the years of development of the Laboratory would continue to flourish under the new organisations to be established by SRC.
Later, in accord with local custom and at the request of the girls from Data Preparation, he was taken away to be dressed in an emperor costume complete with a laurel leaf crown, and given a scroll, which took the form of a diploma for long and faithful service and amongst other well applauded qualities for being the best boss we've ever had!".
In switching the Atlas console to a display 70044772 (idling in execution ... ), Dr Howlett completed the final plans for Atlas; the console was to be on permanent display in the reception lounge. It is clear however that in his retirement Jack Howlett will be far from idle and he looks upon the years ahead as yet another phase of working for his living. Already he has a full calendar and will still play an active role in the computer world.
With a truly international circle of friends and acquaintances, he will indulge his capacity to lead an interesting and varied life. He has spent the past ten days or so in the USA discussing plans for a new national computational chemistry centre and in this connection he has given a talk for the National Academy of Sciences entitled The Atlas Computer Laboratory - a British national computing resource. After a short holiday, he will be off to Bulgaria and then to ...
