November 12, 2000

Last Words

Friend Jason has finally got himself a computer, after a year of research on their usefulness. He would have done so earlier if he hadn't been swayed by "experts" who had evaluated them.

Consider:

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 15 tons."  -- Popular Mechanics forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949.

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"I think there is a world market for, maybe, five computers." - Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

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"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country, and talked with the best people. I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." - The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957.  

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"But, what is it good for?" - Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, commenting on the microchip, 1968.

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"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corp., 1997.

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"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts. What do you think about funding us? Or, we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary and we'll come to work for you." And they said, "No." So then we went to Hewlett-Packard. They said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'" - Apple Computer, Inc., founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get established companies interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.

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"640k ought to be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates, president Microsoft Intel, 1981.

Know It All

Having been confused by Those Who Know It All, Jason began to question other decision-makers of the past.

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo rejecting opportunity to buy Alexander Graham Bell's invention, 1876.

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"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" - David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

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The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C' grade the idea must be feasible." - A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. After graduation, Smith founded Federal Express.

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"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" - Harry M. Warner, president of Warner Brothers Movie Studios, 1927.

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"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."

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"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." - Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting her Mrs. Fields' Cookies Company.

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"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." - Decca Recording Co., rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

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"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." - Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

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"Airplanes are interesting toys, but of no military value." - Ferdinand Foch, professor of strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre, 1916.

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"No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris."  -- Orville Wright.

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"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." - Spencer Silver on the work that led to the weak adhesive for 3-M "Post-It" notes.

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"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction, and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." --  New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work, 1921.

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"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." - Irving Fisher, professor of economics, Yale University, 1929.

Before Passing On

Last words that are predictions often remain to haunt their masters. More provocative are the last words, literally, that are whispered as people pass to that other world from which no traveler returns.

The People's Almanac, which keeps track of such things, provides memorable examples:

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Nathan Hale, 1776, Revolution War soldier about to be hung by the British as a spy. - "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

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Ethan Allen, 1789, Revolution War patriot, in answer to his doctor who said, "General, I fear the angels are waiting for you." - "Let 'em wait."

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Benedict Arnold, 1801, American traitor, referring to his Continental uniform - "Let me die in the old uniform in which I fought by battles for freedom. May God forgive me for putting on any other!"

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Napoleon Bonaparte, 1811, French emperor - "France! Army! Josephine!"

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John Wilkes Booth, 1865, Lincoln's assassin - Tell my mother I died for my country. I thought I did for the best. Useless! Useless!"

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 Henry Ward Beecher, 1887, American clergyman - "Now comes the mystery."

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George Gordan Byron, 1824, English poet - "Now I shall go to sleep."

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Christopher Columbus, 1506, Italian explorer - "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."

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Hart Crane, 1911, American poet as he jumped overboard to commit suicide - "Good-bye, everybody!"

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Amelia Earhart, 1937, in a letter to her husband before her last flight --- "Please know that I am quite aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others."

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Thomas Edison, 1931, American inventor, in a coma  -- "It is very beautiful over there!"

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Benjamin Franklin, 1790, American scientist, philosopher and patriot to his daughter when she asked him to change his position in bed - "A dying man can do nothing easy."

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Sam Houston, 1863, American general - Texas. Texas. Margaret."

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Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, 1863, American Confederate general - "Let us go over the river and sit in the shade of the trees."

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Marie Antoinette, 1793, to the executioner after she stepped on his foot - "Monsieur, I beg your pardon."

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Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1945, American president - 'I have a terrific headache."

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Theodore Roosevelt, 1919, American President - "Please put out the lights."

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George Washington, 1799, American Revolution War general and first national president - "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."

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Florence Ziegfeld, 1932, American theatrical producer, in a delirium - "Curtain! Lights! Music! Ready for the finale! Great! The show looks good!"

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Karl Marx, 1883, founder of communism, to his housekeeper pleading with him to say something important with his dying breath so she could write it down - "Get out! Dying words are fools who haven't said enough."

Author: Lindsey Williams

Cutline - woman aviator - 3 col

bgital  Photo by Albert Bresnik, Earhart's photographer  endital

[ "I want to do it because I want to do it." Last words of Amelia Earhart to her husband. ]

 oooo END  oooooo

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