A Guide to the Frederick Lincoln Fuller Papers, 1905-1941


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Fuller, Frederick Lincoln
	Title:	Frederick Lincoln Fuller Papers
	Dates:	1905-1941
	Abstract:	Fuller was an inventor of cash registers and business machines. These papers document his career and family history.
	Accession No.:	86-7
	Extent:	10 inches
	Laguage:	Materials are written in English.
	Repository:	Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

Biographical Note

Frederick Lincoln Fuller, born April 11, 1861, in Norwich, Connecticut, was an inventor of cash registers and business machines. He founded the Union Cash Register Co. of Trenton, New Jersey, and in 1909 joined the National Cash Register Company of Dayton, Ohio. In 1917 he joined Remington Arms Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut from which he retired in 1925. He left retirement in 1927 to join International Business Machines (IBM) at the request of Thomas Watson. There his major invention was the Bank Proofing Machine for expediting the flow and control of checks between banks. He was still employed by IBM when he died in 1943 in West Orange. Surviving him were a brother, Charles O. Fuller of Trenton, New Jersey, two nephews, Frederick O. Fuller of New Britain, Connecticut and William G. Fuller, the manager of Fort Worth Airport (ca. 1930), a niece, Gertrude Fuller Locke of Collingwood, New Jersey, and a nephew, Frederick L. Morrison of West Orange.

Scope and Contents

The papers consist mainly of souvenir items from Fuller's career, including company brochures, albums, photographs of inventions and celebratory gatherings, and a few books. Several family letters and photographs are also included. Until 1984, this collection was housed at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. It appears to have been transferred to the HRHRC from the College of Engineering. This inventory was prepared by Albert C. Lewis in June 1981, and updated by Amelia Abreu in July 2004.

Forms part of the Archives of American Mathematics.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

Use Restrictions

Portions of these papers are stored remotely at CDL. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.


Index Terms


		Fuller, Frederick Lincoln 1861-
		Cash registers
		International Business Machines Corporation

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Frederick Lincoln Fuller Papers,1905-1941, Archives of American Mathematics, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers

box

86-7/1

Typed announcement of Fuller's death and brief account of his life, undated

Correspondence:

box

86-7/1

F. L. Fuller to William G. fuller and family, [six ALS], 1926-1941

[Mrs. F. L. Fuller?] to W. G. Fuller, [one ALS], 1931

Draft of letter from William G. Fuller to Frederick L. Fuller, ca. 1926?

Manuscript sketches and descriptions of machines:

box

86-7/1

"First sketches of the 10 key cash register," undated

"Data on the small machine which prints the amount of money given in payment [?], the amount of the purchase, and the difference or change," undated

box

86-7/1

Business Machines, [various copies], 1934-1941

Personal papers:

box

86-7/1

Three unsigned cards, Valentine's Day and Christmas, undated

"Estimate made about Jan. 1905 on manufacturing Plain Register, 5 sections," [manuscript], January 1905?

"Cross country flight in the interest of recruiting," letter from W. H. Frank, War Department, Air Service, to Lt. Col. Harry S. Claggett, Kelly Field, San Antonio, [TLS], April 23, 1919

Letter from Albert Firmin to Frederick Lincoln Fuller regarding FLF as descendent of Benjamin Franklin, [TLS], May 29, 1938

Photographs:

box

4RM112

Photographs of Frederick Lincoln Fuller undated

Brochures and leaflets on cash registers, including "NCR Factory News," 1938, "1908 model American-Halwood," and "The Union Computing Scale," [15 total], 1908-1938 and undated

Bank Proofing Machine, photographs and manual, 1938-1939

Photographs of other cash register machines, undated

box

4RM6a

Photograph album of Remington Cash Register Works plant, 1921-1922

IBM Retirement Materials:

box

86-7/2

Plaque presented to Frederick Lincoln Fuller by IBM, in case, 1941 Appreciation book from IBM, signed by employees, including Thomas J. Watson, in slip case, 1940

Album of letters, "Expressions of appreciation," from IBM and others regarding Frederick Lincoln Fullers, "My Half Century as an Inventor," 1938-1939