Newsletters, website page 5

The VIP Club generates periodic newsletters to keep members informed. Since 2010, our standard newsletter distribution is via electronic availability notifications. Six issues are planned for 2025; Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, etc. In 2024 the board decided to print just B/W copies as a cost savings, electronic copies are still color.  Typical newsletter contents are:

• The President's Message about what's happening, etc.  
• Details of upcoming events/programs including registration forms and venue directions.
• Social Activity announcements and reports about recent events with occasional snapshots.
• Obits, new member listings, and letters to the editor [if any]. Archives section below has year-by-year summary lists of obits that have been in prior newsletters. 
• Legacy Activity reports, i.e. tidbits about our people, projects, and product history going back to ERA in 1946.
• Boiler plate; i.e. contact data, periodic groups' information, and
• The Lighter Side if space is available. [:-)

 Notes:

• Inputs for the next Newsletter issue are due to the Editor by the first Friday following the first Wednesday of each even numbered month.
• Address changes for mailings and e-mailings are due to the Membership committee by the 1st Wednesday of each month. We also use this membership database for Evites. We do not post our database on-line to avoid phishing by others. 
• Electronic distributions begin when the news file is sent to a print shop. To change from US Mail delivery to electronic distribution, please contact membership database director, membership@vipclubmn.org.
• Options: Members without email addresses will receive a mailed copy a few days after the electronic notices.  Members with email addresses are encouraged to forego receiving a paper copy.  If a member and spouse have independent email URLs and both retired from a heritage/legacy company - inform us and we'll send the newsletter available message to each of you. 
• Important! For electronic delivery, put clubnewsltr@vipclubmn.org into your email reader accept list and www.vipclubmn.org into your ISP's trusted URLs list so that your spam blocker will accept Bcc newsletter distributions. Subject line or message of the distribution notice will include your membership 'paid thru' year. 

Archives of Newsletters

Click on the month(s) listed below to read prior newsletter issues. We archive issues about a month after distribution (electronic or US mail) to members.

2025 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List
2024 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List

2023 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List
2022 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List.
2021 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List.
2020 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List.
2019 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List.

2018 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List.
2017 January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.  Obits List.
2016 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2015 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2014 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.

2013 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2012 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2011 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2010 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2009 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.

2008 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2007 January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2006 January, February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2005 January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.
2004 January, February, March, April, May, June, Picnic Pictures #1 & #2,  July, August, September, October, November, and December.  Obits List.

Thanks to Joe Schwarz who provided electronic files for the 2004-07 newsletters, before this web site began.

Sperry newsletters

Paul Dickson submitted a February 1986 Sperry newsletter to our Legacy.  This issue discusses the 30+ facilities in the area!
Our volunteers at the Lawshe Memorial Museum have scanned others of the year before Burroughs bought Sperry to form Unisys:

1. August 1985 - "Sperry retiree Al Mueller has been chosen as Hennepin County's Outstanding Senior Citizen for 1985." Al was the VIP Club's first President in 1980.
2. September 1985 - 15000+ employees in Minnesota and Northern Iowa.  Article about Sperryaires!
3. March 1986 - VIP Club founder Mildred Gignac is recognized for a 30-year service award.
4. April 1986 - Employees recall ERA experiencies; Sperry awards AI grants to state universities.
5. May 1986 - A fitness center opened in Plant 4.
6. June 1986 - Blumenthal visited Minnesota.
7. July 1986 - Eagle is a supercomputer!
8. August 1986 - Beginning of Eagandale Center.
9. October 1986 - Fred Jenny named President of Defense Systems.
10. November/December - Introduction of the Unisys name.

Associated Organizations

Charles Babbage Institute (CBI)

The latest Charles Babbage Institute newsletter is available.  Former CBI Directors Dr. Arthur Norberg and Dr. Thomas Misa held the University of Minnesota's Engineering Research Associates Land Grant Chair for the History of Technology.  They were also advisors to the VIP Club's legacy committee. More about CBI and UNIVAC/Unisys is available at https://vipclubmn.org/Exhibits.html#CBI, Legacy Exhibits and a partnership paper.

Unisys Blue Bell Retirees Group (UBBRG)

Sadly, the UBBRG dissolved at the end of 2016 because of diminished of volunteer leadership, i.e. board members were passing away and no one was willing to take his/her place. They had shared some of their newsletters with us. We have archived the following Blue Bell retirees' club NEWSBITS: December 2016, September 2016, June 2016, March 2016, December 2015, September 2015, June 2015, December 2013, September 2013, June 2013, March 2013, September 2011, and December 2010. Note that a few of their former board members are VIP Club members.

 

On this Page

Newsletter Archives

Sperry news!

Charles Babbage Institute (CBI)

Unisys Blue Bell Retirees Group (UBBRG)

You will need the latest pdf reader to open the electronic newsletters, click this Adobe icon to download and install onto your computer.

Page 5 edited 8/12/2025