Thomas K. McGourty: a key figure in Commodore’s early history
Prior to joining Commodore
Thomas McGourty was a World War II veteran who has the distinction of having been the youngest Master Sergeant in WWII. He was in charge of the motor pool in the US 8th Army air corps.
Time with Commodore
Shannon, Ireland, 1963
The Tramiel family visiting the McGourty family in Shannon, Ireland in 1964
West Germany, 1965

News article from the National Post (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) 29 May 1965, Sat • Page 26. Thomas McGourty promoted to VP Manufacturing of Commodore.
In May 1965, McGourty was promoted to the role of Vice-President, Manufacturing for Commodore Business Machines (Canada), Ltd and was listed as an officer of the company. It was around this time that McGourty’s manufacturing expertise was needed at the Willy Feiler Zahl-Und Rechenwerke GMBH plant in West Germany. McGourty and his family moved from Ireland to West Germany.
United States, Norfolk Connecticut, 1966 – 1967
United States, Aptos California, 1967

Commodore-Ricoh headquarters tour in Japan, 1968
Time Research and Development Corporation, 1969
In January, 1969 Commodore and Ricoh formed a new company named Time Research and Development Corporation as a joint venture to manage all research and development for Commodore. This joint venture occupied the existing facilities on Cox Road in Aptos California, which resulted in several Ricoh engineers from Japan moving to the Aptos location including some who brought their families with them. Commodore’s total investment was $108,000 for a 50% equity share in the new company. Time Research and Development was dissolved in 1972.
Commodore Educational Systems Ltd, 1971

Jack Tramiel announcing the creation of Commodore Educational Systems in the 1972 annual report to shareholders.
Commodore Educational Systems Ltd was formed as a Bahamian corporation to develop, manufacture and sell educational devices and materials. Initial development costs for this entity were $41,490. The device Commodore put to market was invented by Thomas McGourty and the prototype was built by McGourty and his son Larry. Thomas McGourty was awarded US Patent #3,707,778 for his design.
“I remember the teaching machine well, Dad and I built the prototype I guess it was the summer before my senior year at Notre Dame. I remember making the slider mechanism, it was all done by hand and the vane parts were very thin .05” hardened blue spring steel cut to a 1/1000 inch tolerance.
We originally tried to make a cursor selector with a sensor that picked up signals from an electronic wire matrix much like a keyboard, but at the time it was beyond my electronic engineering capability and I did not have Ricoh available to work out the details. So, for the prototype I made a spring loaded clear plastic touch screen with contacts on the corners. It was limited to 4 corners, but pressing on the plastic sheet broke the contact and triggered the vane relay mechanism which was programmed from one channel of the stereo cassette player. The other channel carried the audio instruction. I think Ricoh went back to a slider switch and cursor. Too bad, we had the basic idea of touch screen.
The reason the patent is not a Commodore patent is because it was a skunk work project outside of Commodore, Jack and Bernie Hurtig were using Commodore to fund the development, but were going to set up a separate company to sell it.” – Larry McGourty, 2020
Post-Commodore events
Much like he had done his entire life, Thomas McGourty continued with his brilliant gift for invention, and secured additional patents while working for Varitronic Systems, Inc., Insignia Systems, Inc. and Alcea Corporation.
Thomas K. McGourty passed away in the year 2005.
Credit:
The McGourty family was incredibly generous with their time in helping me to prepare this mini-biography of Thomas McGourty. In particular, Thomas’ son Kevin met with me for a lengthy interview and scanned all the family pictures I’ve provided here.
He is my Uncle have always been very proud of him and the family. Most kind Man a ever knew. Super Smart!
Proud of the McGourty Family. Thomas McGourty is my Mothers Uncle. Her Father Patrick McGourty is also a WWII Vet. I am named after Patrick McGourty.
Patrick McCuiston