James L. Belyea Archive

James L. Belyea Archive

An archive of documents related to the pioneering work of Commander James (Jim) Louis Belyea, Royal Canadian Navy, on digital electronics applications in the 1940s and 50s.

Commander James Louis Belyea,  Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), is best known for his original, pioneering work on the DATAR system that he initiated at RCN at the dawn of digital  computing in the 1940s. He was one of the selected few Canadians whose work fostered Canada's entrance into the digital era.

Archive Listing

• Documents related to the DATAR project -- listed separately in the DATAR Archive
• J. Belyea's notebook with technical drawings and specifications, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec (August 1944)
• A file of documents related to the Additron binary adder tube for computing devices and manufactured by Rogers Majestic Electronics Ltd., Toronto (1949--1951) [JB01]
• A file of promotional documents and technical reports produced by Computing Devices of Canada, Ottawa (1940s-50s) [JB02 and JB03]
• A file of Ferranti promotional documents  (1950-51) [JB04] (documents related to Ferranti Electric Ltd. involvement in the DATAR project are listed in the DATAR Archive)
• A file of documents on a variety of electronics and digital computing technologies and projects (including the Whirlwind Project and A Survey of Large-Scale Digital Computers and Computer Projects) [JB05, JB06]
• A file of documents reporting on conference meetings, seminars, panels, lectures, and research visits to various institutions (1949-1952) [JB07, JB08, JB11]
• A file of handwritten notes on various projects undertaken by Belyea (including radar equipment, tactical trainers, digital electronics, display and presentation equipment, data transmission equipment, etc.) [JB09, JB10] (handwritten notes on the DATAR project are included in the DATAR Archive)
• Documents related to radar technology [JB12]
• A file with Defence Research Board documents including the designation of project leaders for Defence Research Board contracts,   a list of research contracts, the notes for the guidance of project officers for industrial research contracts, a general outline of Canadian Armed Services requirements for electronic research, and a list of applied research problems in electronics of immediate interest to the Canadian Armed Services (1949) [JB13]
• A file of J.L. Belyea personal documents [JB14]
• A file of documents related to the design of Royal Canadian Navy Tactical Trainers [JB15A, B, C]
• A file of documents related to the University of Toronto Computer "UTECS" [JB16]
• Two RCN graduation/promotion photographs (1944); on the photograph with negative number 30304-1, J.L. Belya stands in the 2nd raw from the top, fourth from the left [JB17]

1940s--1950s

J.L. Belyea

DATAR Archive

English