Intelligent Machines Research Corporation (IMR)

Intelligent Machines Research Corporation (IMR) was founded by David H. Shepard and William Lawless, Jr. in 1952 to commercialize the work Shepard had done with the help of Harvey Cook in building "Gismo", a machine later called the "Analyzing Reader". IMR went on to deliver the world's first several commercially used systems, including one used by Readers Digest in its book subscription department. Readers Digest donated this system many years later to the Smithsonian, where it was once put on display. In 1959 Farrington acquired IMR, and the numeric font designed by Shepard, called Farrington 7B, has been standard for most of the well known credit cards since that time. Shepard later left Farrington and founded Cognitronics Corporation in 1962.