Stretching from punch card/programming to business data processing to business information systems

Abstract

The world’s oldest undergraduate degree program in data processing and information systems at Mississippi State University turned fifty years old in 2013. In this paper, we review the pioneering activities of the program’s founder, Charles Moore, and provide insights into his foresight about the potential importance of information systems to business organizations. We explain how the program’s founding marked a shift in the epistemological view of information systems education in the mid-1960s. We show the course offerings of business data processing and information systems and the timeline at MSU over the past five decades. We also share how his efforts are instilled in the continuing development of the business information systems program at Mississippi State University to this day.