Welcome
This is the website of the LEO Computers Society, celebrating the World’s First Business Computer.
- Presentation on J. Lyons and Company now on YouTube - The Presentation that Neville Lyons gave on the LEO Computers Society Zoom on 13 May 2021 is now on YouTube
- 70th Anniversary - 2021 marks LEO’s 70th Anniversary Year – watch this space for plans, Covid permitting, to mark the events of 1951
- New Date for Reunion - There is a revised date for our Reunion – Sunday, 17th October 2021. Details will follow
- Princess Elizabeth’s visit to Cadby Hall on 15 February 1951 - And a Letter from the Queen
- Zoom For LEO Computers Society Members - The next LEO Computers Society Zoom will be on Thursday 13-May 2021 at 17:00 BST . This will feature an illustrated talk about the history of J Lyons by Neville Lyons
The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge is our partner in a National Lottery Heritage funded project Swiss Rolls, Tea and the Electronic Office. To find out more about this click (Welcome to LEO)
There is also a regular Project Blog at (Project Blog).
During the Covid Pandemic the Museum has had to close its doors. As it depends on school and individual visits for almost all its income, it has been appealing for donations. We hope that members may be able to help them in these difficult times. (See Here)
LEO Matters for Autumn/Winter 2020 has been published LEO Matters and Issue 71 of ICL All Stars from Australia.
ABOUT US
It was, surprisingly, a British catering firm, J. Lyons and Co – famous for their teashops, Swiss rolls and ice cream which pioneered the development of computing for commercial applications. As Guinness World Records ratifies, Lyons Electronic Office (LEO) was the first business computer in the world.
In 1951 the LEO I computer was operational and ran the world’s first regular routine office computer job.
LEO I 
LEO I Console
The LEO Computers Society (which has charitable status) started life as a reunion society for people who worked on these remarkable machines. Its principal mission now is to ensure that LEO’s heritage is preserved, protected and – importantly – promoted to wider audiences. Read more about the LEO Computer Societies mission (Our Mission). If you want to understand the development timeline and the rationale for its development see what the Science Museum has to say.
More About Us
URGENT REQUEST: Do you have any LEO memorabilia – e.g. pieces of hardware, engineering drawings, charts and plans, programming information, computer files, correspondence or reminiscences?
If so, you can help us. We are collecting such material to join a growing archive at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, our partners in a National Lottery Heritage funded project to preserve, protect and promote the history of the world’s first business computer.
Please contact the Secretary@leo-computers.org.uk for further details.
Become a member
Membership of the Society is open to:
- all ex-employees of LEO Computers and its succeeding companies;
- anyone who worked with a LEO computer;
- and indeed anyone who has an interest in the history of LEO Computers.
- we especially would encourage educators to join
We welcome the active participation of members – whether through volunteering as interviewers for oral histories, writing their own reminiscences, contributing to the newsletter or simply through spreading the word!
So Join Today