National Cash Register Company

Cash register manufacturing and sales company, founded by John H. Patterson in Dayton, Ohio, in 1884. Later the company became known as NCR.

From the description of Souvenir of Fifth Annual Convention of the Hundred Point Club, Dayton, Ohio, 1911, Jan. 9-14. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 166329104

The National Cash Register Company was founded in 1884 in Dayton, Ohio. by John H. Patterson. Maker of the first mechanical cash registers and predecessor of NCR Corporation.

From the description of National Cash Register Company advertisements, circa 1957. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 646313905

From the guide to the National Cash Register Company advertisements, circa 1957, (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)

In 1884 John H. Patterson and his brother Frank J. Patterson founded the National Cash Register Company (NCR) when they purchased the National Manufacturing Company of Dayton, Ohio, which produced the first mechanical cash registers invented by James Ritty in 1879. Under the leadership of John H. Patterson, NCR became one of the first modern American companies, introducing new, aggressive sales methods and business techniques, and a comprehensive social welfare program for its factory workers.

Significant events in NCR's first century include: the establishment of the first sales training school in 1893; the creation of the first electric powered cash register invented by Charles Kettering in 1906; being found guilty of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1912 and acquitted in 1915; becoming a publicly owned company in 1926; the acquisition of Computer Research Corporation in 1953; the introduction of their first transistor-based computer in 1957; and the introduction of MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) in the 1950s.

During its first century NCR was also concerned with the welfare of its employees, the city of Dayton, and the nation. In the 1890s company benefits for employees included hot lunches, a glass factory to improve lighting and ventilation, baths, showers, exercise programs, and social and professional clubs. During the 1913 Dayton flood the company built flat-bottomed boats, erected a tent city for the homeless, and dispensed food and medical care to the city's residents. During World War I the company built shell fuses and aircraft instrumentation and during World War II it built aero-engines, bomb sights, and code-breaking machines including the American Bombe designed by Dayton's Joseph Desch. NCR was also a strong supporter of the "Beautiful City" program.

Since 1984 NCR has become a technology company specializing in point-of-sale terminals, automatic teller machines, check processing systems, and barcode scanners. The company is also one of the largest providers of IT maintenance support services. NCR was acquired by AT&T in 1991, but became an independent company again in 1997. In 2008 NCR was still an important Dayton company with over 25,000 employees worldwide generating over $6 trillion in revenue. In 2010 NCR moved its world headquarters out of Dayton and relocated it in the state of Georgia.

From the guide to the National Cash Register (NCR) Collection, 1897-1984, (Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)