SALT LAKE CITY –– Gary L. Leavitt, one of the early technology pioneers and advocates in credit unions, has passed away.
Leavitt was responsible for writing and developing what would later become the CUSA Credit Union Core Data Processing System that first installed it at the Salt Lake City Firefighters Credit Union in the late 1970s when many credit unions continued to keep paper records.
After founding CUSA (Credit Union Systems of America) with other individuals in the early 1980s, Leavitt established a nationwide network of dealers that marketed, sold, and installed CUSA in many small- to mid-sized credit unions through the 1980s and mid-1990s.
According to an announcement related to his passing, Leavitt foresaw the need to provide core automation to the smaller credit union marketspace and was determined to provide that service to them by basing CUSA on the emerging mini-computer platforms offered by CADO (later acquired by Contel Business Systems) and became one of the first core systems to run on the IBM RS600 line of Unix-based computers.
CUSA pioneered one of the first IVR (Interactive voice response systems) as well as one of the first real-time ATM interfaces that allowed smaller credit unions access to many of the features offered by much larger credit unions at the time, the announcement stated.
System in 1,200 CUs
Prior to being acquired by the Fiserv Corporation in the late 1990s, CUSA and its distribution network had successfully installed CUSA’s core system in more than 1,200 credit unions nationwide and in Newfoundland, Canada – thus becoming one of the largest providers of in-house computer systems for credit unions at the time.
“Leavitt also was a future technologist that foresaw the advent of distance learning by funding and experimenting with CUSAT, the Credit Union Satellite Network, prior to the advent of Internet-based training,” the announcement stated. “Mr. Leavitt’s ideas, fortitude, and dedication to the credit union industry helped drive much of the technological innovation that still exists today.”
Leavitt is survived by Karen, his wife of 56 years, and five adult children, some who still work in the credit union community today.
Online condolences and his obituary may be found at the following web link: https://daltonhoopes.com/gary-lyman-leavitt/