Editing Sperry Corporation (section)

===Sperry Rand===
[[File:Sperry Rand logo.svg|thumb|upright|Logo of Sperry Rand]]
In 1955, Sperry acquired [[Remington Rand]] and renamed itself '''Sperry Rand'''. Acquiring then- [[Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation]] and [[Engineering Research Associates]] along with Remington Rand, the company developed the successful [[List of UNIVAC products|UNIVAC]] computer series and signed a valuable cross-licensing deal with [[IBM]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Company History |url=http://www.unisys.com/company-history |website=Unisys |date=July 9, 2021 |access-date=6 December 2021}}</ref> The company remained a major military contractor. From 1967 to 1973, the corporation was involved in an acrimonious [[antitrust]] lawsuit with [[Honeywell]], Inc. (see ''[[Honeywell v. Sperry Rand]]'').

In 1961, Sperry Rand was ranked 34th on the [[Fortune 500]] list of largest companies in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500_archive/full/1961/|title=FORTUNE 500: 1961 Archive Full List 1–100|website=archive.fortune.com|access-date=June 20, 2018}}</ref>

In 1977, Sperry Rand purchased [[Varian Data Machines]] so as to enter the [[minicomputer]] market. Varian would be renamed as the Sperry UNIVAC Minicomputer Operation, operating as part of the Sperry UNIVAC division.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sperry Univac V77 Family Communications Capabilities |url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/datapro/communications_processors/C13-877_Sperry_V77.pdf |website=BitSavers.org |publisher=DATAPRO RESEARCH CORPORATION |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sperry Plans to Buy Varian Data Machines |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/05/24/archives/sperry-plans-to-buy-varian-data-machines.html |access-date=28 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=24 May 1977}}</ref>

In 1978, Sperry Rand decided to concentrate on its computing interests, and sold a number of divisions including Remington Rand Systems, Remington Rand Machines, Ford Instrument Company and [[Harry Franklin Vickers|Sperry Vickers]]. The company dropped "Rand" from its title and reverted to '''Sperry Corporation'''.

At about the same time as the Remington Rand acquisition, Sperry Gyroscope decided to open a facility that would almost exclusively produce its marine instruments. After considerable searching and evaluation, a plant was built in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]], and in 1956, Sperry Piedmont Division began producing marine navigation products.  It was later renamed [[Sperry Marine]].

[[File:Sperry Remington typewriter in kringloper thrift store in Roosendaal, NL, upper floor 1.jpg|thumb|Sperry Remington typewriter]]
In the 1970s, Sperry Corporation was a traditional conglomerate headquartered in the Sperry Rand Building at 1290 Avenue of Americas in Manhattan, selling typewriters (Sperry Remington); office equipment, electronic digital computers for business and the military (Sperry Univac); construction and farm equipment (Sperry New Holland); avionics, such as gyroscopes, radars, air route traffic control equipment (Sperry Vickers/Sperry Flight Systems); and consumer products such as electric razors (Sperry Remington). In addition, Sperry Systems Management (headquartered in the original Sperry Gyroscope building in Lake Success) performed work on a number of US government defense contracts. Sperry also managed the operation from 1961 to 1975 of the large [[Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant]] near [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]].  In January 1972, Sperry took over the [[RCA Spectra 70]] line of electronic digital computers (architectural cousins to the IBM [[System/360]]). In 1983, Sperry sold Vickers to [[Libbey Owens Ford]] (later to be renamed TRINOVA Corporation and subsequently Aeroquip-Vickers). At the same time, it acquired the [[Aircraft Radio Corporation]] from [[Cessna]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Townsend |first1=Lew |title=Sperry to Buy Avionics Firm from Cessna |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/695409440 |access-date=20 December 2022 |work=Wichita Eagle-Beacon |date=29 November 1983 |page=5B}}</ref>