Operation Match

Jeff Tarr, one of the co-founders of Operation Match, in 1965.

Looking for love is an art, not a science. People have been trying to crack the code—with mixed success—for a long time, whether through matchmakers, or speed dating, or apps and artificial intelligence.

This is the story of the very first experiment in computer-based dating.

In the 1960s, businesses had started using a new technology called the computer to process payroll or, say, match a client with the right type of insurance. At the time, computers were big, clunky machines, the size of a whole room.

A couple of Harvard students wondered, what if these same computers could be used to get a date? They created the very first computer dating service: Operation Match.

Jeff Tarr and his wife, Patsy, in 2025.

Jo and Marty Margolis, who met through Operation Match, in the 1960s.

Marty and Jo Margolis in 2025.

Shelly and Larry Beaser, who met through Operation Match, in the 1960s.

Shelly and Larry Beaser in 2025.