Department of Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University

History of the 1960s

1960-61	Scottish Education Department made a special award of £79,466-18s-10d to update equipment throughout the College, some of which was spent on the Sirius computer
1st December 1961	Institutional Membership of the BCS taken out
4th May 1962	The Sirius computer “commissioned in the Electrical Engineering Department on Friday 4^th May at 2.30pm” in what was the Measurements Laboratory in the basement of the Chambers Street building (now the Sheriff Court), under the joint control of Mathematics and Electrical Engineering
Spring 1966	Course Structure and Syllabus for a Computer Science degree considered by Faculty of Science, Board of Studies, and Academic Advisory Committee
October 1966	Honours Degree of BSc in Computer Science started with 11 students
January 1967	Allen McTernan awarded an SRC grant of £9,998 to purchase an analogue computer “in connection with studies of the application of analogue and hybrid computation.”
1st October 1967	Computer Unit set up out of Mathematics as a separate unit within the Faculty of Science. “The staff at present within the Computer Section of the Department of Mathematics will be transferred to this Unit” with Alex Balfour as Director
1967-68	23 first year students, 10 second year students Grant of £104,601 from the Computer Board for the purchase of an Elliot 4130
October 1968	First PhD student registers
4the March 1969	Name of Computer Unit changed to Department of Computer Science
20th May 1969	The Department moves to 37-39 Grassmarket
June 1969	ICL4130 delivered and installed at 37-39 Grassmarket
October 1969	Ordinary Degree of BSc in Computer Science started
1968-69	UGC grant of £20,000 awarded for the setting up of Computer Application Services (CAS)