Donald Prell
Encyclopedia
Donald B. Prell is a venture capitalist and futurist who created Datamation
, the first magazine devoted solely to the computer hardware and software industry.
in the summer of 1942. At the end of his sophomore year at UCLA he enlisted in the US Army. In 1944, age 19, he graduated from Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army)
, Ft. Benning, Georgia, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry. Serving in the European Theater of Operations
as an anti-tank platoon leader during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944, he was wounded and captured. In March of 1945, he was liberated by Task Force Baum
during its “Raid” at Oflag XIII-B
(which General George S. Patton, Jr. reported as the only mistake he made during WWII). Prell’s freedom lasted only a few days as he was recaptured after attempting to locate friendly forces. A month later, he escaped from a POW camp south of Nuremberg
, and found his way to freedom.
After graduating from UCLA in 1948, he joined Hans Eysenck
’s Program Research Team at the University of London
. It was here that he learned to program Hollerith punched card tabulation machines, the forerunner of today’s digital computers.
, who later founded the Hudson Institute
in New York. Also in the 1950s he was associated with many of the early designers of high-speed computer input-output devices, analog to digital converters and digital display plotters. In 1958, working with Thompson Publications, he created Datamation
, the first magazine dedicated solely to the emerging computer-data-processing industry. Later he founded and served as President of two venture capital firms: 1967 Union Ventures (a subsidiary of the Union Bank N.A.) and in 1980 Imperial Ventures (a subsidiary of Imperial Bank of California). During his association with Union Bank, he was responsible for producing the bank’s first and only 30-year Strategic Plan.
and Pierre Laval
. His extensive collections of books and other material by and about these two men are now housed in the Special Collections of two Universities:
The Edward John Trelawny Collection is in the Special Collections of the Honnold/Mudd Library, Claremont Colleges
, Claremont, California. This collection contains one of the original Notebooks of Edward Ellerker Williams
.
The Pierre Laval Collection is in Special Collections of the UCR Libraries, University of California, Riverside
, Riverside, California.
Datamation
Datamation was a print computer magazine published in the United States between 1957 and 1998. When first published it wasn't clear there would be a significant market for a computer magazine given how few computers there were...
, the first magazine devoted solely to the computer hardware and software industry.
Early life
Prell was born in Los Angeles, California, and graduated from Los Angeles High SchoolLos Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans....
in the summer of 1942. At the end of his sophomore year at UCLA he enlisted in the US Army. In 1944, age 19, he graduated from Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army)
Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army)
The United States Army's Officer Candidate School , located at Fort Benning, Georgia, provides training to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army...
, Ft. Benning, Georgia, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry. Serving in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
as an anti-tank platoon leader during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944, he was wounded and captured. In March of 1945, he was liberated by Task Force Baum
Task Force Baum
Task Force Baum was a secret and controversial World War II task force set up by U.S. Army general George S. Patton and commanded by Capt. Abraham Baum in late March 1945. Baum was given the task of penetrating 50 miles behind German lines and liberating the POWs in camp OFLAG XIII-B, near...
during its “Raid” at Oflag XIII-B
OFLAG XIII-B
Oflag XIII-B was a German Army World War II Prisoner-of-war camp camp for officers, originally in Langwasser near Nuremberg. In 1943 it was moved to 3 km south of Hammelburg, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany....
(which General George S. Patton, Jr. reported as the only mistake he made during WWII). Prell’s freedom lasted only a few days as he was recaptured after attempting to locate friendly forces. A month later, he escaped from a POW camp south of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, and found his way to freedom.
After graduating from UCLA in 1948, he joined Hans Eysenck
Hans Eysenck
Hans Jürgen Eysenck was a German-British psychologist who spent most of his career in Britain, best remembered for his work on intelligence and personality, though he worked in a wide range of areas...
’s Program Research Team at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. It was here that he learned to program Hollerith punched card tabulation machines, the forerunner of today’s digital computers.
Professional career
During the 1950s Prell worked with Rand Corporation futurist Herman KahnHerman Kahn
Herman Kahn was one of the preeminent futurists of the latter third of the twentieth century. In the early 1970s he predicted the rise of Japan as a major world power. He was a founder of the Hudson Institute think tank and originally came to prominence as a military strategist and systems...
, who later founded the Hudson Institute
Hudson Institute
The Hudson Institute is an American think tank founded in 1961, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, by futurist, military strategist, and systems theorist Herman Kahn and his colleagues at the RAND Corporation...
in New York. Also in the 1950s he was associated with many of the early designers of high-speed computer input-output devices, analog to digital converters and digital display plotters. In 1958, working with Thompson Publications, he created Datamation
Datamation
Datamation was a print computer magazine published in the United States between 1957 and 1998. When first published it wasn't clear there would be a significant market for a computer magazine given how few computers there were...
, the first magazine dedicated solely to the emerging computer-data-processing industry. Later he founded and served as President of two venture capital firms: 1967 Union Ventures (a subsidiary of the Union Bank N.A.) and in 1980 Imperial Ventures (a subsidiary of Imperial Bank of California). During his association with Union Bank, he was responsible for producing the bank’s first and only 30-year Strategic Plan.
Other interests
Although his primary occupation has been as a venture capitalist and futurist, he has had a long-standing scholarly interest in two diverse individuals: Edward John TrelawnyEdward John Trelawny
Edward John Trelawny was a biographer, novelist and adventurer who is best known for his friendship with the Romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. Trelawny was born in England to a family of modest income but extensive ancestral history...
and Pierre Laval
Pierre Laval
Pierre Laval was a French politician. He was four times President of the council of ministers of the Third Republic, twice consecutively. Following France's Armistice with Germany in 1940, he served twice in the Vichy Regime as head of government, signing orders permitting the deportation of...
. His extensive collections of books and other material by and about these two men are now housed in the Special Collections of two Universities:
The Edward John Trelawny Collection is in the Special Collections of the Honnold/Mudd Library, Claremont Colleges
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges are a prestigious American consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
, Claremont, California. This collection contains one of the original Notebooks of Edward Ellerker Williams
Edward Ellerker Williams
Edward Ellerker Williams was a retired army officer who became friends with Percy Bysshe Shelley in the final months of his life and died with him. - Early life :...
.
The Pierre Laval Collection is in Special Collections of the UCR Libraries, University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
, Riverside, California.
Publications
- The Inheritance of Neuroticism: An Experimental Study, Hans. J. Eysenck and Donald B. Prell, The Journal of Mental Health, Volume XCVII, July, 1951, pp. 441–465
- Economic study of the Seychelles Island, D. B. Prell. 1965,
- The Sinking of the Don Juan Revisited, Donald B. Prell, Keats-Shelley Journal, Volume LVI, 2007, pp. 136–154
- Discovering Byron’s Boat (the Bolivar), Donald Prell, The Byron Journal, Volume 35, No.1, 2007, pp. 53–59
- Trelawny, Fact or Fiction, Donald B. Prell, Strand Publishing, 2008
- Sailing With Byron from Genoa to Cephalonia, Donald B. Prell, Strand Publishing, 2009
- Lord Byron --- Coincidence or Destiny, Donald B. Prell, Strand Publishing, 2009
- Biography of Captain Daniel Roberts, Donald B. Prell, Strand Publishing, 2010