Remington Rand

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Remington Rand (1927-1986) was an early American computer manufacturer, best known as the original maker of the UNIVAC I, and now part of Unisys. For a time, the word "univac" was recognized as a generic synonym for "computer". Remington Rand also made office equipment.

Remington Rand was formed by the 1927 merger of the Remington Typewriter Company, Rand Kardex Company, and Powers Accounting Machine Company. Remington Rand was acquired by Sperry Corporation in 1955 to form a company then known as Sperry Rand (later shortened to Sperry). Sperry merged in 1986 with Burroughs to form Unisys.

From 1942 to 1945, Remington Rand was one manufacturer of the M1911A1 .45 caliber automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Remington Rand produced more M1911A1 pistols than any other wartime manufacturer.

In 1949, Remington Rand designed the Remington Rand 409, a plug-board programmed punch card calculator (but not introduced as a product until 1952 as the UNIVAC 60 then in 1953 as the UNIVAC 120 with double the memory). The following year, Remington Rand purchased Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, makers of the UNIVAC I, and in 1951 delivered the first UNIVAC I to the United States Census Bureau. For a while, the company was headed by Douglas MacArthur, following his unsuccessful vice-presidential bid in 1952.

Remington Rand also made electric razors. The Remington brand of razor was originally produced by a division of Remington Rand, starting in 1937. Sperry Corporation sold the division in 1979 to Victor Kiam, who became the company spokesman of the new Remington Products Company. His line, "I liked the shaver so much, I bought the company" became one of the more memorable advertising slogans of the early 1980s. Remington Products was sold in 2003 to the battery manufacturer Rayovac. Rayovac is now Spectrum Brands.

The Remington Rand Building at 315 Park Avenue in New York City is a 20-floor skyscraper completed in 1911.