[SIGCIS-Members] [External]-Re: Joseph A. Weisbecker = Joe Weisbecker (author of "Home Computers Can Make You Rich", 1980)?

[Erik Rau]

Weisbecker’s professional papers while at the David Sarnoff Laboratory (RCA) can be viewed at Hagley:

<https://findingaids.hagley.org/repositories/3/archival_objects/247711>
Joseph A. Weisbecker papers, 1899-1982, bulk: 1964 - 1982 | Hagley Museum and Library Archives<https://findingaids.hagley.org/repositories/3/archival_objects/247711>
findingaids.hagley.org<https://findingaids.hagley.org/repositories/3/archival_objects/247711>
[hagley_fav-9d882c8e234fd46b54cb40e6f09af4b1ece121239552529bcf34cc7c85fd5ba9.png]<https://findingaids.hagley.org/repositories/3/archival_objects/247711>

If you put in “Weisbecker,” in the search bar, additional documents and images outside of the above collection come to light.

Erik

--

Erik P. Rau, PhD
Director, Library Services
Hagley Museum & Library
P.O. Box 3630, 298 Buck Road
Wilmington, DE 19807
302.658.2400, ext. 344
erau at hagley.org
www.hagley.org<https://www.hagley.org>
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On Jul 15, 2025, at 09:36, Albert Gleb J. via Members <members at lists.sigcis.org> wrote:

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________________________________

Dear all

The mystery seems to be solved, thanks to the hints from Evan Koblentz and Laine Nooney. The book is dedicated to a "Jean", which was the name of Joseph Weisbecker's wife according to this feature article on their daughter Joyce: <https://www.fastcompany.com/90147592/rediscovering-historys-lost-first-female-video-game-designer>. Also, in the book itself, the author calls himself a "computer designer" on page 108. So, the evidence is pretty clear - and it is really fascinating that Weisbecker, who is otherwise known as a serious engineer and scientist, deemed it necessary to write this (in fact, quite entertaining) hands-on "make some money in your sparetime with your home computer" guidebook...

Thanks for all your help!
Gleb

Am 14.07.2025 um 17:37 schrieb Koblentz, Evan:
I suggest asking his daughter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Weisbecker <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Weisbecker>

On Mon, Jul 14, 2025 at 11:28 AM Albert Gleb J. via Members <members at lists.sigcis.org <mailto:members at lists.sigcis.org>> wrote:




   Dear colleagues

   While currently analysing microcomputer business advice literature of the 1980s, I am trying to establish the identity and background of the author of a classic in the field: "Home Computers Can Make You Rich", published in 1980 (<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://archive.org/details/homecomputerscan0000weis/__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!I5kkjsuzKOnwploRyTn-aWfnV2ZxqY2p-ATvIzgmsLLA7yDcJiIeW7Cc0HeMFg7szNrdJFsiGEw6L8WzXuU$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://archive.org/details/homecomputerscan0000weis/__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!I5kkjsuzKOnwploRyTn-aWfnV2ZxqY2p-ATvIzgmsLLA7yDcJiIeW7Cc0HeMFg7szNrdJFsiGEw6L8WzXuU$> >). The book is written by one Joe Weisbecker, and I wonder whether the author is identical to Joseph Weisbecker, the famous microprocessor designer many of you are surely familiar with. However, none of this official bibliographies and none of the obituaries list this book (that seemed to have been highly successful and was translated into several languages, including German in
   1984). Also, the book itself has no author bio or any other further information about the author. Can anyone possibly confirm that the book was really written by Joseph Weisbecker?

   Many thanks in advance
   Gleb




--
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Gleb J. Albert
SNSF Starting Grant Assistant Professor for General and Eastern European Contemporary History
Department of History, University of Lucerne

Universität Luzern
Historisches Seminar
Frohburgstrasse 3
Postfach 4466
CH-6002 Luzern
Switzerland

Room 3.A29
Tel. +41-41-2295527
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