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Pioneering Mainframer – Erich Bloch

Nov 4, 2024

Trivia

Pioneering Mainframer - Erich Bloch Trivia

Sonja Soderlund

Sonja Soderlund is an Oregon-based B2B freelance writer. Whether writing about mainframe computers, educational technology, or sustainable retail, she strives to bring clarity to complex issues. Connect with her or LinkedIn.

There’s just something about the autumnal season that makes us want to look back. This week’s Trivia Challenge is going to do just that, paying tribute to a pioneering mainframer who passed away eight years ago at the age of 91. The only child of a German-Jewish family, Erich Bloch survived the Second World War and, in 1948, immigrated to the United States where he was to play a key role in mainframe development. 

Bloch put himself through school by pumping gas and cleaning laboratory equipment. That tenacity saw him through a career that took him from the world of mainframes to the halls of government, where he took particular interest in programs benefiting women, minorities, and the disabled.

Take our quiz and learn a bit about this mainframe legend!

1. Where was Erich Bloch born?

 
 
 
 

2. Which country did Bloch’s family flee to for the duration of the Second World War?

 
 
 
 

3. Erich Bloch was known for his work with which American company?

 
 
 
 

4. Erich Bloch was instrumental in the development of which famous IBM project?

 
 
 
 

5. Which of the following best describes how Bloch’s contributions to mainframe technology influenced computing standards?

 
 
 
 

6. Why was Erich Bloch’s work on the IBM System/360 series significant for mainframe technology?

 
 
 
 

7.  Which government agency did Erich Bloch lead in the 1980s?

 
 
 
 

8. During Bloch’s tenure, NSF funding significantly increased for which area of research?

 
 
 
 

9.  What prestigious award did Erich Bloch receive in 1985?

 
 
 
 

10. Erich Bloch helped pioneer the collaboration between which two sectors?

 
 
 
 

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