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Sperry Corporation
Sperry Corporation
Sperry Corporation
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Factory building, Brooklyn

Key Information

M2 gun director 1932 in production

Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the 20th century. Sperry ceased to exist in 1986 following a prolonged hostile takeover bid engineered by Burroughs Corporation, which merged the combined operation under the new name Unisys. Some of Sperry's former divisions became part of Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and Northrop Grumman.

The company is best known as the developer of the artificial horizon and a wide variety of other gyroscope-based aviation instruments like autopilots, bombsights, analog ballistics computers and gyro gunsights. In the post-WWII era the company branched out into electronics, both aviation-related, and later, computers.

The company was founded by Elmer Ambrose Sperry.

History

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Early history

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The Sperry Horizon, Sperry Gyroscope Co. Brooklyn N.Y.

The company was incorporated on April 14 1910[2] by Elmer Ambrose Sperry as the Sperry Gyroscope Company, to manufacture navigation equipment—chiefly his own inventions: the marine gyrostabilizer and the gyrocompass—at 40 Flatbush Avenue Extension in Downtown Brooklyn.[3] During World War I the company diversified into aircraft components including bomb sights and fire control systems. In their early decades, Sperry Gyroscope and related companies were concentrated on Long Island, New York, especially in Nassau County. Over the years, it diversified to other locations.

In 1918, Lawrence Sperry split from his father to compete over aero-instruments with the Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Company, including the new automatic pilot. After the death of Lawrence on December 13, 1923, the two firms were brought together in 1924. Then in January 1929 it was acquired by North American Aviation,[4] who reincorporated it in New York as the Sperry Gyroscope Company, Inc. The company once again became independent in 1933 when it was spun-off as a subsidiary of the newly formed Sperry Corporation.[2][5] The new corporation was a holding company for a number of smaller entities such as the original Sperry Gyroscope, Ford Instrument Company, Intercontinental Aviation, Inc., and others. The company made advanced aircraft navigation equipment for the market, including the Sperry Gyroscope and the Sperry Radio Direction Finder. It also moved into the hydraulics industry when it acquired Vickers, Inc. in 1937.[6] Sperry supported the work of a group of Stanford University inventors, led by Russell and Sigurd Varian, who had invented the klystron, and incorporated this technology and related inventions into their products.[7]

The company prospered during World War II as military demand skyrocketed, ranking 19th among US corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.[8] It specialized in high technology devices such as analog computer–controlled bomb sights, airborne radar systems, and automated take-off and landing systems. Sperry also was the creator of the Ball Turret Gun mounted under the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.

In 1944, Sperry sold the Brooklyn factory at 40 Flatbush Avenue Extension to the Howard clothing manufacturing company, which already had a smaller nearby factory.[9]

Postwar, Sperry expanded its interests in electronics and computing, producing the company's first digital computer, SPEEDAC, in 1953.

During the 1950s, a large part of Sperry Gyroscope moved to Phoenix, Arizona and soon became the Sperry Flight Systems Company. This was to preserve parts of this defense company in the event of a nuclear war. The Gyroscope division remained headquartered in New York—in its massive Lake Success, Long Island, plant (which also served as the temporary United Nations headquarters from 1946 to 1952)—into the 1980s.

Sperry Rand

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Logo of Sperry Rand

In 1955, Sperry acquired Remington Rand and renamed itself Sperry Rand. Acquiring the Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation and Engineering Research Associates along with Remington Rand, the company developed the successful UNIVAC computer series and signed a valuable cross-licensing deal with IBM.[10] The company remained a major military contractor. From 1967 to 1973, the corporation was involved in an acrimonious antitrust lawsuit with Honeywell, Inc. (see Honeywell v. Sperry Rand).

In 1961, Sperry Rand was ranked 34th on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies in the United States.[11]

In 1977, Sperry Rand purchased Varian Data Machines so as to enter the minicomputer market. Varian would be renamed as the Sperry UNIVAC Minicomputer Operation, operating as part of the Sperry UNIVAC division.[12][13]

In 1978, Sperry Rand decided to concentrate on its computing interests, and sold a number of divisions including Remington Rand Systems, Remington Rand Machines, Ford Instrument Company and Sperry Vickers. The company dropped "Rand" from its title and reverted to Sperry Corporation.

At about the same time as the Remington Rand acquisition, Sperry Gyroscope decided to open a facility that would almost exclusively produce its marine instruments. After considerable searching and evaluation, a plant was built in Charlottesville, Virginia, and in 1956, Sperry Piedmont Division began producing marine navigation products. It was later renamed Sperry Marine.

Sperry Remington typewriter

In the 1970s, Sperry Corporation was a traditional conglomerate headquartered in the Sperry Rand Building at 1290 Avenue of Americas in Manhattan, selling typewriters (Sperry Remington); office equipment, electronic digital computers for business and the military (Sperry Univac); construction and farm equipment (Sperry New Holland); avionics, such as gyroscopes, radars, air route traffic control equipment (Sperry Vickers/Sperry Flight Systems); and consumer products such as electric razors (Sperry Remington). In addition, Sperry Systems Management (headquartered in the original Sperry Gyroscope building in Lake Success) performed work on a number of US government defense contracts. Sperry also managed the operation from 1961 to 1975 of the large Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant near Minden. In January 1972, Sperry took over the RCA Spectra 70 line of electronic digital computers (architectural cousins to the IBM System/360). In 1983, Sperry sold Vickers to Libbey Owens Ford (later to be renamed TRINOVA Corporation and subsequently Aeroquip-Vickers). At the same time, it acquired the Aircraft Radio Corporation from Cessna.[14]

Burroughs takeover

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On September 16, 1986, after the success of a second hostile takeover bid engineered by Burroughs Corporation CEO and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Michael Blumenthal, Sperry Corporation merged with Burroughs Corporation.[15] The newly merged company was renamed Unisys Corporation—a portmanteau of "united", "information", and "systems," while also referencing Sperry's well-known previous UNIVAC computer branding.[16] The takeover came about even after Sperry used a "poison pill" in the form of a major share price hike to dissuade the hostile bid, the result of which caused Burroughs to borrow much more funding than was anticipated to complete the bid.

Certain internal divisions of Sperry were sold off after the merger, such as Sperry New Holland (1986, to Ford Motor Company, which in 1991 sold the Ford-New Holland line to Fiat[17]) and Sperry Marine (to Tenneco, in 1987,[18] and is currently part of Northrop Grumman[19]). Also sold—to Honeywell—was Sperry Aerospace Group, while Sperry Defense Products Group was sold to Loral; those two units whose functions were originally at the heart of the venerable Sperry Gyroscope division.[20][failed verification][21][failed verification][22][failed verification] This group is now part of Lockheed Martin.

British Sperry

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Sperry in Britain started with a factory in Pimlico, London, in 1913, manufacturing gyroscopic compasses for the Royal Navy. It became the Sperry Gyroscope Co Ltd in 1915. In 1923, Lawrence Sperry was killed in an air crash near Rye, Sussex. The company subsequently expanded to the Golden Mile, Brentford, in 1931, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire[23] in 1938, and Bracknell in 1957.[24] By 1963, these sites employed some 3,500 people.[23] The Brentford site closed in 1967, with the expansion of Bracknell. Stonehouse closed around 1969. By 1969, the Sperry Gyroscope division of Sperry Rand Corporation employed around 2,500.[25]

The site of the Bracknell factory and development center (sold to British Aerospace in 1982) is commemorated by a 4.5-meter aluminum sculpture by Philip Bentham, Sperry's New Symbolic Gyroscope (1967).[26]

In 1989, the Bracknell site was downsized and work was moved to the Sperry manufacturing site in Plymouth by then under the British Aerospace brand. State of the art, high technology MEMS gyroscopes (together with other avionics equipment) are still made on the site today, although the company is now owned by United Technologies Corporation and is part of UTC Aerospace Systems.

Sperry since 1997

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The name Sperry lives on in the company Sperry Marine, headquartered in New Malden, England. This company, formed in 1997, from three well-known brand names in the marine industry—Sperry Marine, Decca, and C. Plath—is now part of Northrop Grumman Corporation. It is a worldwide supplier of navigation, communication, information and automation systems for commercial marine and naval markets.

Products

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Aircraft

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Model name First flight Number built Type
Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane 1917 13 Flying bomb
Sperry Land and Sea Triplane 1918 2 Single engine triplane reconnaissance airplane
Verville-Sperry M-1 Messenger 1921 42 Single engine biplane communication airplane
Verville-Sperry R-3 1922 3 Single engine monoplane racing airplane

Missiles and rockets

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  • In Murder, She Wrote season 3 episode 7 ("Deadline for Murder", November 16, 1986) Sperry computers are seen being used in the offices of the fictional Boston Daily Sentinel.
  • In the 1988 film Big, the character of Josh Baskin played by Tom Hanks is seen using a Sperry computer when he plays a video game towards the film's conclusion.

See also

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References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sperry Corporation

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from Grokipedia
Sperry Corporation was a prominent American conglomerate that developed and manufactured gyroscopic navigation systems, military electronics, precision instruments, and early commercial computers, operating from its founding in 1910 until its merger with to form in 1986. Established on April 14, 1910, as the Sperry Gyroscope Company in , New York, by prolific inventor Elmer A. Sperry, the firm initially specialized in gyrocompasses and stabilizers for ships and , revolutionizing maritime and . Its gyrocompass, patented by Sperry in 1908, was first installed on the USS Delaware in 1911 and became a standard U.S. Navy tool during and beyond. During the world wars, the company expanded into bombsights, fire-control directors like the M-4 and M-7 systems, , and automated guidance technologies for torpedoes and anti-aircraft defense, supplying critical equipment to the U.S. military. In 1933, following its acquisition by North American Aviation in 1929 and the latter's reorganization, Sperry Gyroscope became part of the newly independent Sperry Corporation, a holding company that incorporated other aviation and instrument firms to broaden its scope to aeronautical machinery and precision controls. A transformative event came in 1955 with the merger of Sperry Corporation and Remington Rand, creating Sperry Rand Corporation and integrating Remington's computing assets, which included the groundbreaking UNIVAC I—the first commercially available electronic digital computer, delivered in 1951. Under Sperry Rand, the UNIVAC division produced influential systems like the UNIVAC 1100 series, establishing the company as a key player in the early computer industry alongside rivals such as IBM. The firm also diversified into farm equipment, typewriters, and aerospace systems, but faced challenges from bureaucratic structures that hindered innovation in the rapidly evolving tech sector. By 1979, Sperry Rand reverted to the Sperry Corporation name to refocus on core technologies, though it continued producing defense electronics and mainframe computers. The company's legacy in computing and guidance systems endured through its 1986 merger with Burroughs, birthing , a global leader in enterprise computing and IT services that traces its roots directly to Sperry's innovations.

History

Origins and Early Development

The Sperry Gyroscope Company was founded on April 14, 1910, by inventor Elmer Ambrose Sperry in , New York, initially as a manufacturer of electrical instruments and gyroscopic devices with no outside capital investment. Sperry, who had previously developed arc lamps and mining equipment, shifted focus to gyroscopic technology after demonstrating its potential for and stabilization in the early 1900s. The company began operations in a small facility near the , leveraging Sperry's expertise to produce devices for maritime and emerging aviation applications. Key innovations during the company's formative years included the , which Sperry patented in 1917 (US Patent 1,242,065) following its first practical installation on the USS in 1911, providing a non-magnetic means to indicate . In the , Sperry also developed the ship's stabilizer, a massive five-ton device first tested on naval vessels around 1910 to reduce rolling motion at sea, enhancing crew safety and operational efficiency. For , the aerial emerged in 1914, stabilizing aircraft pitch and roll; this laid the groundwork for the Sperry gyro-pilot, an early system introduced in 1916 that used gyroscopic feedback to maintain course. These inventions gained rapid adoption by the U.S. Navy during for and fire control, with the equipping over 200 vessels by 1918 and autopilots tested on flying boats. The war spurred significant expansion, as the company diversified into production of searchlights for naval illumination, fire-control systems for gunnery accuracy, and rudimentary bomb sights for aerial targeting, contributing to Allied maritime superiority. By 1916, to meet wartime demand, Sperry Gyroscope constructed an 11-story facility in , growing its workforce to several thousand. World War II accelerated this growth further, with mass production of gyroscopes integrated into torpedoes for guidance, radar systems for detection, and instruments for bombing and ; the company employed over 25,000 workers by 1944 across multiple plants. Sperry's devices also supported critical wartime instrumentation efforts, including components for high-precision projects in the . Corporate evolution reflected these challenges and successes: initially operated as a by Sperry, it incorporated as the Sperry Gyroscope Company in New York on April 14, 1910. The 1929 brought financial strain amid the , prompting a 1933 reorganization under a new holding structure as the Sperry Corporation after merging with and other aviation firms, broadening its scope to include aeronautical machinery and precision controls. This pre-1955 period solidified Sperry's role as a leader in gyroscopic innovation, setting the stage for broader technological diversification. In the , the company continued to expand its workforce to several thousand.

Formation and Growth as Sperry Rand

In 1955, the Sperry Corporation, known for its and instrumentation technologies, merged with , Inc., a major producer of office equipment and early computing systems, to form the Sperry Rand Corporation. This merger created a diversified conglomerate spanning office machinery, electronics, and , with initial corporate headquarters established in . The merger built on Remington Rand's prior acquisition of the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation in February 1950, which had been developing advanced electronic computers. This acquisition enabled the completion and delivery of the in June 1951 to the U.S. Census Bureau, marking the first commercial general-purpose digital computer in the United States and establishing Sperry Rand's early foothold in . Following the merger, Sperry Rand reorganized its operations to emphasize computing, creating the dedicated Sperry Univac Division in 1955 to consolidate the efforts from Remington Rand's Eckert-Mauchly and Engineering Research Associates units. Under the leadership of Harry F. Vickers, who served as president and CEO from the Sperry Corporation era into the early years of Sperry Rand, the company pursued key milestones in computing technology. The 1100 series, introduced starting with the UNIVAC 1107 in 1962, became a cornerstone of the company's offerings through the and , featuring innovations like drives for and various peripherals to support large-scale . These systems secured significant contracts with the U.S. Census Bureau during the and , including ongoing support for operations that reinforced Sperry Rand's role in handling. (Note: Using as secondary confirmation; primary from Hagley) Sperry Rand diversified beyond core computing into related technologies, establishing the Sperry Semiconductor Division in 1956 to develop diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits essential for third-generation computers by the mid-1960s. The company expanded production of peripherals, including printers and disk drives, to complement its mainframe systems and meet growing demand in commercial and sectors. Revenue grew substantially during this period, from approximately $634 million in to over $4.5 billion by , driven by these innovations and market expansion. In the , Sperry Rand invested heavily in for minicomputers and software solutions, aiming to capture emerging markets, though these efforts faced challenges from intensifying . IBM's dominance in the mainframe market during the pressured Sperry Rand's , prompting internal adjustments to focus on compatible systems and specialized applications. In 1979, the company reverted to the name Sperry Corporation to refocus on core technologies.

Merger and Dissolution

In the mid-1980s, Sperry Corporation faced mounting economic pressures from intense competition, particularly from , which dominated the mainframe market, and a broader decline in demand for large-scale computing systems. These challenges contributed to significant financial strain, exemplified by Sperry's reported net loss of $187.9 million in its fiscal second quarter ended September 30, 1985, a stark reversal from the $99.5 million profit in the same period the previous year. The loss was largely attributed to charges related to the sale of a plant and ongoing restructuring efforts amid shrinking market share. To address these issues and strengthen its position against , Sperry entered merger discussions with in early 1985. After a contentious bidding process, including a hostile takeover attempt by Burroughs, the companies announced their agreement on May 27, 1986, with the merger completing on September 16, 1986, to form Corporation. The deal was structured as a swap valued at $4.8 billion, creating the second-largest computer company in the U.S. after , with combined annual revenues of approximately $10.7 billion and a global workforce of 120,000 employees. The U.S. Department of Justice reviewed the merger for antitrust concerns but concluded it posed no significant competitive issues, allowing it to proceed without opposition. Following the merger, initially retained key Sperry operations, including the division for mainframe production, while integrating Burroughs' strengths in mid-range systems. The Sperry brand was phased out progressively, with the company name officially changing to in November 1986 after an employee naming contest; by 1987, most product lines and marketing had transitioned to the identity. Headquarters were consolidated in Blue Bell, —Sperry's primary operational base—though dual facilities persisted briefly in and New York. To achieve cost synergies, Unisys implemented workforce reductions, laying off approximately 10,000 employees by mid-1987 through attrition, early retirements, and plant closures. The Sperry brand's legacy lingered in certain subsidiaries and product lines into the 1990s, such as marine systems sold to Tenneco in 1987 (rebranded as S-P Marine) and aerospace operations divested to Honeywell for $1.025 billion later that year. By 1997, remaining Sperry-associated entities had been fully absorbed or restructured under Unisys, marking the complete dissolution of the independent Sperry Corporation.

Products and Technologies

Sperry Corporation pioneered gyroscopic navigation technologies in the early , focusing on maritime and applications to provide reliable independent of magnetic influences. The company's gyrocompasses utilized the principle of gyroscopic , where a rapidly spinning rotor maintained a fixed orientation relative to through Earth's rotation, enabling precise heading information for ships and . These systems were instrumental in enhancing safety and during an era of expanding global travel and military operations. A cornerstone of Sperry's offerings was its series, which evolved from early models in the to sophisticated wartime variants. Gyrocompasses introduced in the 1920s gained prominence for their use in submarines, where they provided stable directional reference amid underwater maneuvers and magnetic interference. By the 1940s, the model advanced this lineage, integrating seamlessly with systems for enhanced fire control and navigation on surface vessels, and was installed on thousands of U.S. Navy ships lacking automated targeting. Key to their performance was the achieved via a spinning rotor operating at approximately 8,600 RPM, which resisted external torques through high . Sperry's autopilot systems represented a revolutionary step in automated steering, beginning with the "Metal Mike" automatic pilot developed in the for maritime use, which employed gyroscopic sensing to maintain course without constant human input. This system, also known as the Gyro-Pilot, incorporated servomotors to amplify gyro signals and actuate rudders or tillers, reducing crew fatigue on long voyages. Extending to , Sperry introduced aircraft autopilots in the 1930s, with the first commercial installation occurring on the airliner in 1933, marking a milestone in instrument flight reliability. These autopilots relied on interconnected gyropilots and hydraulic servomotors to control pitch, roll, and yaw, enabling stable flight in adverse conditions. In maritime applications, Sperry developed gyro-stabilizers from the through the to mitigate ship roll caused by waves, using massive counter-rotating flywheels to generate opposing torques. The system was first installed on the USS Henderson transport ship in 1917, featuring two 25-ton, 9-foot-diameter rotors spinning at 1,100 RPM in opposite directions to dampen motions up to 20 degrees. This installation, the first on a large naval vessel, reduced roll to as little as 3 degrees in rough seas, influencing subsequent designs for passenger liners and warships. Sperry's aviation instruments, spanning the 1920s to 1950s, included essential gyro-based tools like artificial horizons, turn indicators, and drift meters, which provided pilots with visual cues for attitude and heading during instrument flight. The artificial horizon, a gyro-stabilized device displaying pitch and roll relative to a simulated horizon line, was widely adopted in such as the bomber during , aiding navigation in clouds and at night. Turn indicators complemented this by sensing yaw rates via gyroscopes, while drift meters used optics and gyros to measure and wind effects, enhancing bombing accuracy and . Following , Sperry advanced its navigation portfolio in the 1950s by integrating technology with emerging (INS), which used accelerometers and gyros to track position without external references. Partnering with MIT's Instrumentation Laboratory, Sperry developed the Ships' (SINS) prototype in 1954, deployed on submarines like the for submerged guidance. These systems were exported to international navies, including British and allies, bolstering global maritime capabilities amid demands.

Computing and Data Processing Equipment

Sperry Corporation's contributions to and equipment were primarily through its line, which pioneered commercial electronic digital computers in the mid-20th century. The , delivered in 1951 to the U.S. Bureau, marked the first general-purpose computer designed for applications, utilizing 5,200 vacuum tubes and capable of performing approximately 1,905 operations per second. This system gained public prominence when a installation at accurately predicted Dwight D. Eisenhower's landslide victory in the 1952 U.S. presidential election based on early returns, demonstrating early real-time capabilities. The UNIVAC series evolved through the 1960s with models like the UNIVAC 1108, introduced in 1964 with initial deliveries in 1965, which represented a significant advancement in mainframe technology as Sperry's first multiprocessor system via the 1108 II configuration, allowing up to three central processors to share memory and I/O resources for enhanced throughput in scientific and business workloads. Building on this, the in the 1970s and 1980s maintained across generations while incorporating innovations such as in later models like the 1100/80, enabling efficient handling of larger address spaces and multiprogramming for data-intensive applications. Peripherals and storage solutions complemented these processors, with early adoption of in the 1950s providing random-access storage for intermediate data in systems derived from Engineering Research Associates heritage. The , introduced alongside in 1951, was the first commercial storage device, using phosphor-bronze tape at a of 128 bits per inch and achieving an effective transfer rate of 7,200 characters per second for bulk data archival and input. By the 1970s, Sperry advanced storage with drum-based systems like the FH-432, offering up to 524,288 words of capacity for high-speed access in mainframe environments, though later disk technologies emerged to support growing data volumes. To expand into smaller-scale computing, Sperry developed the Series 90 family in the 1970s, targeting mid-range business processing with models like the 90/30 for concurrent job execution, and acquired Varian Data Machines in 1977 to integrate its offerings, such as the V77 series, into Sperry's portfolio for distributed and real-time applications. Software support included the EXEC II operating system in the , a drum-oriented environment that managed sequential program execution and resource allocation on 1107 and 1108 systems. By 1970, Sperry had installed hundreds of systems worldwide, establishing a strong market position through competition with IBM's System/360 family, where the series offered comparable performance in multiprogramming and I/O capabilities for enterprise .

Aerospace and Defense Systems

Sperry Corporation played a pivotal role in developing instruments for applications during the mid-20th century, including gyro-stabilized s that competed with and complemented the Norden system in the . The company's Sperry S-1 , the first precision device accepted by the U.S. government for aerial bombing, integrated gyroscopic stabilization to maintain accuracy amid motion, and was produced in large quantities for use in bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress during . By the 1950s and 1960s, Sperry advanced these technologies into altimeters and flight directors, which provided pilots with real-time altitude and attitude data for low-level operations; these systems were notably incorporated into the jet, enhancing its all-weather combat capabilities through instruments such as the Sperry Gyro Horizon Indicator. In the realm of missile and rocket guidance, Sperry's expertise in inertial navigation systems was instrumental during the Cold War, particularly for the U.S. Navy's Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile program in the 1950s and 1960s. The company developed key components, including accelerometers and stable gyro platforms, as part of the Ships' Inertial Navigation System (SINS) Mark 3, which enabled the Polaris A-1 missile to achieve a circular error probable (CEP) of approximately one nautical mile over its 1,200-nautical-mile range, allowing submerged submarines to launch accurately without external references. These inertial guidance technologies relied on Sperry's high-precision gyros to measure acceleration and rotation, ensuring trajectory corrections in vacuum conditions free from jamming or detection. Sperry extended its inertial capabilities to space programs. Earlier, in 1965, Sperry contributed inertial components to NASA's Gemini program, supporting orbital rendezvous and reentry control through stabilized reference systems that tested technologies later refined for Apollo. The company's gyros demonstrated reliability in zero-gravity environments, drawing on decades of military-grade production to meet NASA's stringent performance requirements. Through defense contracts, Sperry developed advanced and fire-control systems for naval and aerial applications in the 1970s. Additionally, Sperry's fire-control systems for naval guns, evolving from early 20th-century designs, included the Sperry-Ford main battery director, which automated aiming for anti-aircraft and surface batteries on U.S. warships, integrating gyro-stabilized directors with analog computers to predict target motion and fire solutions. These systems were deployed on vessels like battleships and cruisers, improving hit probabilities against fast-moving threats during naval operations. During the Cold War, Sperry's production scaled dramatically for missile applications, supporting programs like surface-to-air missiles and supporting collaborations with prime contractors such as Lockheed and on guidance subsystems for cruise and ballistic missiles. These efforts underscored Sperry's position as a key military supplier, with gyro platforms providing the stable reference frames necessary for inertial guidance in strategic weapons, contributing to U.S. deterrence capabilities amid escalating tensions.

Operations and Subsidiaries

International Expansion

Sperry Corporation began its international expansion in the early through exports of navigation equipment, notably supplying gyrocompasses to the British Royal Navy starting in 1913. This marked an initial foothold in , where demand for gyroscopic technology grew amid naval advancements prior to . By the , the company established a presence in , leveraging its structures to support sales and service of guidance systems. Post-World War II, Sperry expanded manufacturing and engineering operations across , establishing sites in , , and to produce and assemble and components. These facilities enabled localized production of products like gyroscopes and early equipment, adapting to regional standards such as voltage variations and facilitating compliance with local regulations. In the , Sperry's systems were exported to European governments and institutions, supporting scientific and administrative applications in . In Asia, Sperry pursued strategic alliances to penetrate markets, forming a with in 1963 known as Oki Univac Kaisha, Ltd., which localized mainframe production for Japanese clients, including banks and government entities. This partnership allowed Sperry to navigate Japan's protective policies while customizing systems for local needs, such as integration with domestic peripherals. Building on earlier exports of gear. Sperry's international growth faced significant hurdles during the , including multilateral export controls under the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom), which restricted high-technology transfers to communist nations and complicated dealings with neutral markets. For instance, Sperry-Univac encountered delays in obtaining licenses for advanced systems like the computer due to U.S. security reviews. Trade barriers and geopolitical tensions thus required ongoing adaptations, such as segmented product lines to meet varying international standards.

British Sperry Operations

The British subsidiary of Sperry Corporation, known as Sperry Gyroscope Company Limited, was established in 1913 to enable local manufacturing of equipment under from the U.S. company. Initially based in a factory in London's district, the company concentrated on producing gyrocompasses for the Royal Navy, marking the start of Sperry's dedicated operations for maritime and applications. It formalized as Sperry Gyroscope Co. Ltd. in 1915, expanding its role in gyroscopic technology production to meet growing demand in the British defense sector. During , Sperry Gyroscope significantly contributed to the Allied war effort by manufacturing gyro sights, components, and other guidance systems for the Royal Air Force at facilities including . In late 1940, U.S. engineers from the parent company arrived in the UK to support production scaling, helping equip RAF aircraft with advanced gyroscopic instruments essential for and targeting. The company's workforce expanded rapidly to meet wartime needs, peaking at several thousand employees dedicated to these high-priority defense contracts. In the post-war period, Sperry Gyroscope relocated to a new facility in in 1957, which became a hub for innovation in marine autopilots and aircraft instruments, building on wartime expertise to serve commercial and . Following the 1955 U.S. merger forming Sperry Rand Corporation, UK operations were restructured and integrated as Sperry Ltd. in 1958, aligning with the parent's broadened portfolio while maintaining focus on guidance systems. During the , sites supported on computing peripherals, complementing the assembly of systems adapted for markets as part of Sperry Rand's global computing expansion. The 1986 merger of Sperry Corporation with Burroughs to form Corporation led to the divestiture of non-core units, but navigation operations continued under the Sperry Marine name through the , specializing in integrated bridge systems and gyrocompasses. This division persisted post-merger, with ownership changes including acquisition by in 1987, J.F. Lehman & Company in 1993, and in 1996, before acquired it in 2001 as part of its Litton purchase, extending the Sperry legacy in marine navigation into the .

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Technological Contributions

Sperry Corporation's pioneering work in established key foundations for modern and satellite-based positioning technologies, including the (GPS). In 1954, the company collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Instrumentation Laboratory to develop the Ships' (SINS), an early prototype that enabled accurate, self-contained position tracking using gyroscopes and accelerometers without reliance on external signals. This innovation extended to through systems like the SGN-10 aircraft unit, ordered in quantity by airlines in the 1960s, which improved flight guidance and stability. Sperry's gyroscopic technologies, originating from founder Elmer A. Sperry's inventions, also influenced development, providing the core principles for precise control in aircraft and later applications such as drone and autonomous vehicle guidance in environments where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable. In , Sperry's division played a pivotal role in launching commercial by producing the world's first general-purpose electronic digital computer for business use. The , delivered to the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951, demonstrated practical applications for large-scale data tabulation, such as processing the 1950 population census and the 1954 economic census, thereby proving the viability of computers for non-military commercial operations. Additionally, through its Univac predecessor, Sperry contributed to the development of (Common Business-Oriented Language) in the late 1950s. , working at Univac, advanced compiler technologies like , which influenced 's design for English-like programming to facilitate business across machines; Sperry later demonstrated compilers in collaborations with RCA. Sperry's defense contributions included advancements in precision targeting via gyroscopic and inertial systems, which enhanced accuracy in weaponry and reduced unintended impacts in military operations. The company's fire control and guidance technologies, building on Elmer Sperry's and stabilizers, were integral to naval and aerial systems during and after , enabling more controlled munitions delivery. By 1980, Sperry had accumulated numerous patents in these areas, including digital testers and power transmission systems critical for defense electronics. In the , Sperry ranked among the top Department of Defense contractors, deriving substantial revenue from military electronics and instrumentation contracts that supported U.S. strategic capabilities. The company's influence persisted through its 1986 merger with to form , which continued Sperry's mainframe technologies, including the UNIVAC 1100 series and operating system, sustaining legacy systems for data processing into the modern era. Elmer A. Sperry's foundational inventions earned recognition with his 1991 induction into the for the gyroscopic compass, underscoring Sperry Corporation's enduring impact on navigation and control systems. In the , Sperry employed approximately 73,000 people globally as of 1984, contributing significantly to the U.S. through defense and sectors. Sperry Corporation's computer gained prominence in popular culture through its bold prediction of Dwight D. Eisenhower's landslide victory in the 1952 U.S. presidential election, broadcast live on despite initial skepticism from network executives, which captivated the public and established computers as symbols of futuristic power. This event transformed into a , inspiring widespread media coverage and public imagination about electronic brains. The 's fame extended to entertainment, notably in the 1957 film , a comedy-drama starring and , where a massive computer called EMERAC—modeled directly after UNIVAC and produced by (Sperry's predecessor entity)—is installed in a television network's reference library, humorously depicting fears of replacing human researchers. The film, adapted from William Marchant's 1955 play, reflected mid-20th-century anxieties about technological displacement while showcasing early as a dramatic . Sperry Rand appears in historical accounts of computing's evolution, such as Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine's 1984 book Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer, which chronicles the company's role in the UNIVAC era and its influence on Silicon Valley's origins amid competition from firms like . In modern media, Sperry's legacy endures through documentaries like the 1992 series The Machine That Changed the World, whose second episode details the commercial rise of from UNIVAC's 1950s debut to 's dominance, crediting Sperry Rand with pioneering applications of electronic . The series underscores UNIVAC's cultural breakthrough via the forecast, positioning Sperry as a foundational player in the digital revolution. Sperry's aviation innovations, including and technologies, have been referenced in WWII-themed narratives, such as naval scenes in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, which dramatizes the attack and implicitly features era-specific guidance systems like those developed by Sperry Gyroscope. Similarly, Ernest K. Gann's 1961 memoir Fate Is the Hunter recounts perilous flights using early autopilots akin to Sperry's designs, highlighting their role in overcoming human limitations during high-risk operations. Sperry Rand features in fictionalized accounts of Cold War intrigue, including Tom Clancy's 1980s novels like The Hunt for Red October (1984), where advanced missile guidance systems draw on real-world technologies pioneered by Sperry in defense applications. These portrayals often romanticize corporate ingenuity in espionage thrillers, blending fact with suspense.

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