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MoTET is an Open-Archive Site Devoted to Research Into The Origins of Personal Computing
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. . . and Preserving Yesterday's Technology, for Tomorrow.
The Man Who Co-Invented
The World's First Transistorized Desktop Computer
Thomas John Scuitto, the inventor of the WYLE Scientific, is finally being recognized
as the intellectual and creative genius behind one of the world's first commercial transistorized desktop computers.
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Thomas John Scuitto in 1983
(age 55)
(photo courtesty of Thomas John Scuitto and his son Ted Scuitto
(BELOW)
Thomas Scuitto was one (1) of only seven (7) honored among the elite group of 175 cadets, in the Army Specialized Training Program unit at the University of Utah, to receive the "Blue Star Award for Scholastic Ability and Achievement." Ceremony photo below taken from the 1947 yearbook at the University of Utah (Utonian). This was the first year this award was given to honor cadets in the history of the University of Utah. Concert pianist Grant Johnson played several numbers during the indoor part of the ceremony.
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February 6, 1946
The Salt Lake Tribune
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
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Thomas John Scuitto's childhood home (center) at 3826 39th Ave. S.W. in Seattle Washington. Thomas' mother, Alice N Scuitto, raised him alone as a beautician working in a beauty shop six days a week making $1,750 a year (in 1930 when Thomas was 2 years old) (that's $27,561 in 2021 dollars).
1930 United States Census Record
Seattle, Washington
King County
Record for 3826 39th Avenue:
Alice Scuitto: Sister in law (29 yrs old; Thomas' mother)
Thomas J Scuitto: Nephew (2 yrs old)
Jessie O Pease: Mother in law (51 yrs old; Thomas' grandmother)
Williard Ratcliff: Head
Louise Ratcliff: Wife of Head
Williard A Ratcliff Jr.: Son
Phillip Richardson: Border
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1940 Census
5305 Shore Drive, Seattle Washington
Alice N. Scuitto (40 yrs old; Thomas' mother; Beautician; b. Minnesota; $1,750/yr)
Thomas J Scuitto (12 yrs old; b. Washington)
Jessie Pease (61 yrs old; Thomas' grandmother; b. Maine)
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in 1943, the Fieldhouse at the University of Utah was converted to sleeping quarters for the Army Specialized Training Program (A.S.T.P) and meal facilities were provided in the school cafeteria. The Fieldhouse was known by the cadets as "The Bedroom." This is where Thomas Scuitto slept while he was enrolled in the rigorous and accelerated training program in engineering and the sciences.
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May 25, 1943
Deseret News
(Salt Lake City , Utah)
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January 2, 1944
The Salt Lake Tribune
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
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Thomas Scuitto at 15 years old, as a High School Sophomore, in his Kimtah 1944 West Seattle High School yearbook.
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January 18, 1946
The Uintah Basin Standard (Duchesne, Utah)
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March 19, 1946
The Salt Lake Tribune
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Col. Rumsey Cambell, left, professor, military science and tactics, University of Utah, presents awards from the war department to Dr. Leo G. Provost, professor, secondary education; Dr. LeRoy W. Cowles, retired president, and Dr. Sidney W. Angleman, Dean of the school of lower division for services rendered in the operation of the ASTP unit.
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In 1946 Thomas Scuitto graduated from the West Seattle High School (1944 and 1946 Kimtah yearbook photos soon to post here)
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Thomas John Scuitto at age 18 in the 1947 University of Utah yearbook. Here Mr. Scuitto is shown in a group photo with other members of the elite Army Specialized Training Program (A.S.T.P.) unit. This was an elite WW2 Army training program in Engineering and the Sciences. Entrance into this program was very difficult and required, among other things, a high score on an Army-administered Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test. Consequently only a very small number of cadets, nation-wide, managed to get in. Mr. Scuitto was sent to this A.S.T.P. post at the University of Utah to specialize in engineering.
The Museum of TrailingEdge Technology was able to obtain the 1947 University of Utah yearbook and make the above high-resolution scan image for this exhibit.
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Thomas John Scuitto in early 1950's
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June 16, 1951
Tom Scuitto and Patricia Woodward marry as part of a double wedding with Patricia's sister Jeanne (Jeanne and Charles Ralston)
(source: Jeanne Ralston Obituary; Published by the Seattle Times from Oct 25 to Oct 26, 2009)
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July 25, 1958
The Fresno Bee
(Fresno, California)
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Thomas Scuitto saves the life of his friend James Hofmann on July 5, 1958
by pulling him to safety after he fell 25-40 feet from a cliff into a creek. He made his friend as comfortable as possible and then hiked to Big Creek for help.
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Thomas John Scuitto in 1959
(age 31)
In four years from this photo, Scuitto's WS-01 Prototype would be fully operational.
Flanked by wife, Patricia (currently married over 70 years), and children (elder son is Theodore); Baja California
Photo courtesy of Thomas Scuitto and Theodore Scuitto
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Thomas Scuitto in 1964
(age 36)
In May 1964, the Scuitto/Tomaszewski WS-01 production unit was commercially advertised on Pg. 1 of Scientific American
Thomas Scuitto is shown here with his wife, Patricia (currently married for 70+ years now), and children performing together
Photo courtesy of Thomas Scuitto and Theodore Scuitto
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Thomas Scuitto in 1964
(age 36)
In May 1964, the Scuitto/Tomaszewski WS-01 production unit was commercially advertised on Pg. 1 of Scientific American
Thomas Scuitto is shown here with his wife, Patricia (married in 1951), and children performing together
Photo courtesy of Thomas Scuitto and Theodore Scuitto
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Thomas John Scuitto in 1973 at the Helm of his ship Sabrina (58’ Yawl).
Thomas sailed to Tahiti and then up to Washington, with his wife and his younger son & daughter (Ted's little brother and sister). They left in 1973. Thomas Scuitto also spent 20 years building his own house with his own hands.
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(above photo courtesy of Thomas Scuitto and his older son Ted Scuitto)
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Mysteriously in December 1975, Thomas J. Scuitto was trying to locate his old partner on the WYLE Scientific project, Matthew A. Alexander, as can be seen in the above classified ad. Matthew (Matt) was also a co-founder, along with Thomas, of a company called Audio Data, which they started in the later half of the 1960's. This company focused on products for the blind, for example devices that could read utility meters and vocalize the reading. The reason and outcome of this classified ad are presently a mystery. This ad ran for a continuous week, which we have documentation of.
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Thomas John Scuitto in 1983
(age 55)
(photo courtesty of Thomas John Scuitto and his son Ted Scuitto
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