"History," Burroughs Corporation, circa 1982

William Seward Burroughs and three other co-founders established the American Arithmometer Company in 1886 to produce simple addition and subtraction machines. Over the years, the company--later known as the Burroughs Corporation--innovated and expanded. Mergers with companies such as Moon-Hopkins and Sperry in the 20th century helped Burroughs become a leader in the calculating--and later computing--industry.