Not the first electronic computer either

In the late 1930’s, early 1940’s John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry built a special purpose device from vacuum tubes (the Atanasoff-Berry Computer ABC)
- Mauchly (of ENIAC fame) was familiar with this work

Around the same time, IBM, known then for its punch-card tabulating machinery was looking into electronic multipliers

In the late 1930’s, early 1940’s John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry built a special purpose device from vacuum tubes (the Atanasoff-Berry Computer ABC)