  The compact radio source Sgr A* is associated with a 3.6 million black hole
at the center of the Milky Way. The radio source was discovered in February
1974 by Bruce Balick and Robert L.Brown. The National Radio Astronomy
Observatory's Green Bank 35 km radio link interferometer was used. We discuss
other observations in the years 1965-1985 as well as early VLBI observations.
The name Sgr A* was used for the first time in 1982 by Robert L.Brown and has
become the accepted name in the intervening years.
