Herman Hollerith
Invented the tabulating machine, which was crucial for processing the 1890 US Census.
Most quoted
"I came to the conclusion that if I could devise a mechanism whereby the items of information could be recorded by means of holes in cards, and then combined and counted by electrical means, the whole census problem could be solved."
— from Interview/Recollection, 1889
"My invention comprises a traveling carrier for the card, a series of electrically-controlled counters, and means for bringing the card and the counters into cooperative relation."
— from Patent Application, 1889
"The problem of handling statistics by mechanical means is one of the most interesting and important problems that has ever been presented to the inventor."
— from An Electric Tabulating System, 1889
All quotes by Herman Hollerith (430)
Wisdom lies in foreseeing the needs of tomorrow through today's inventions.
The 1890 Census taught me that time saved is knowledge gained.
In letters to friends, I often muse: machines free the mind for greater pursuits.
Success in invention comes not from genius alone, but from persistent trial.
Politics and punch cards: both require sorting the truth from the noise.
A good comeback to skeptics: 'Watch the machine count faster than you can blink.'
From my major work on tabulation: 'Accuracy is the cornerstone of statistical science.'
On life: 'Each day is a new card to punch with purpose.'
Engineering observation: Electricity and mechanics will transform bureaucracy.
In correspondence: 'Doubt your doubts, but trust your calculations.'
Speech excerpt: 'The future belongs to those who tabulate their dreams.'
Witty remark: 'My machines don't gossip; they just count the facts.'
Key passage: 'Innovation thrives on the edge of feasibility.'
Personal reflection: 'Wealth is not in gold, but in the systems that organize it.'
On politics: 'Elections are but large-scale tabulations of public will.'
Joke: 'Why did the tabulator go to school? To improve its sorting skills!'
Art in engineering: 'Beauty in a blueprint is as vital as strength in steel.'
Wisdom: 'Patience is the lubricant of invention.'
Professional: 'Census data reveals the soul of a nation.'
Letter excerpt: 'Friend, let machines handle the drudgery; we ponder the profound.'
Contemporaries of Herman Hollerith
Other Engineerings born within 50 years of Herman Hollerith (1860–1929).