& Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper (December 9, 1906 – January 1, 1992) was an American computer scientist, mathematician, and United States Navy Rear Admiral. She is best known as the creator of COBOL: Common Business-Oriented Language, a pioneering programming language that revolutionized data processing and business applications. Hopper also invented the compiler, a groundbreaking tool that translated human-readable programming instructions into machine code.
Early Life and Education
Hopper earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics from Vassar College in 1928, followed by a master's degree (1930) and Ph.D. (1934) in mathematics from Yale University. She began her professional career teaching mathematics at Vassar College but shifted her focus during World War II by joining the U.S. Navy Reserve.
Career Highlights
- Mark I Computer: Hopper's first assignment was at Harvard University, where she worked on the Mark I, the first large-scale automatic calculator and precursor to modern computers. She later contributed to the development of Mark II and Mark III.
- UNIVAC I: In 1949, Hopper joined the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, where she worked on the development of UNIVAC I, the first commercial electronic computer.
- Compiler Innovation: In 1952, Hopper created the first compiler, the A-0 System, which made programming more accessible by translating instructions into machine code. This innovation laid the foundation for machine-independent programming languages.
- FLOW-MATIC and COBOL: Hopper developed FLOW-MATIC, an English-like programming language that inspired the creation of COBOL in 1959. COBOL became one of the most widely used languages for business applications.
Military Achievements
Hopper retired from the Navy in 1966 but was recalled to active duty in 1967 to standardize computer languages for military applications. She was promoted to Commodore in 1983, a rank later incorporated into Rear Admiral in 1985. At the time of her final retirement in 1986, Hopper was the oldest active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy.
Legacy and Honors
Hopper received numerous accolades throughout her lifetime, including:
- The National Medal of Technology in 1991 for her pioneering contributions to computer science.
- Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016.
- Namesakes such as the guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper, Yale University's Hopper College, and Nvidia's Hopper GPU architecture honor her legacy.
Grace Hopper’s work continues to inspire generations of programmers and engineers. Her belief that programming should be simple and accessible transformed computing forever, making her a true trailblazer in technology and innovation.
Sources
[1] Grace Hopper, Trailblazer for Women and Computing - Adaptigent https://www.adaptigent.com/blog/grace-hopper-trailblazer-for-women-and-computing/
[2] Grace Hopper - National Women's Hall of Fame https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/grace-hopper/
[3] Grace Hopper | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts - Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Grace-Hopper
[4] Grace Hopper - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper
[5] Grace Hopper: The Mother of Computer Science https://www.historyofdatascience.com/grace-hopper-the-mother-of-computer-science/
[6] Rear Adm. Grace Hopper — Accomplishments and Honors - DON CIO https://www.doncio.navy.mil/chips/ArticleDetails.aspx?ID=2391
[7] Biography of Grace Murray Hopper | Office of the President https://president.yale.edu/biography-grace-murray-hopper
[8] Grace HOPPER - Scientific Women https://scientificwomen.net/women/hopper-grace-45