Grace Hopper: Pioneer of Computer Programming and Naval Leadership
Written on
Chapter 1: Early Life and Academic Achievements
Grace Brewster Murray Hopper, a Rear Admiral in the Navy and an innovative computer scientist, is renowned for making programming more accessible by developing an early compiler for computer languages.
Born in New York City in 1906, Grace graduated from Vassar College in 1928 with degrees in physics and mathematics. She then pursued further education at Yale, where she earned her M.A. in 1930 and Ph.D. in 1934, becoming one of the first women to achieve this distinction. While studying at Yale, she began teaching at Vassar in 1931 and continued until World War II led her to enlist in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1943.
In 1944, she was commissioned as a Lieutenant and assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance's Computation Project at Harvard University. Here, she was introduced to programming while working with the Mark I, the first large-scale digital computer.
"I had never met a digit, and I wanted nothing to do with digits."
Section 1.1: Post-War Career and the First Computer Bug
After World War II, Grace chose to remain in the Navy as a reserve officer. She left Vassar and took on the role of a research fellow at Harvard's Computation Laboratory. During the summer of 1945, while working on the Mark II, an incident occurred that would be famously referred to as "the First Bug." A malfunction was traced back to a moth that had become trapped in a relay. Grace documented the incident in her logbook, noting it as "the first actual case of a bug being found."
In 1949, eager to further her programming endeavors, Grace transitioned to the private sector as a senior mathematician at Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corp. (which later became part of Remington Rand and Sperry Rand Corp). She remained there until her retirement in 1971, during which time she made significant contributions to programming. Notably, she worked on the UNIVAC project and developed the first English-language data-processing compiler, known as B-0 (FLOW-MATIC) in 1957. This compiler translated English-like instructions into machine code and laid the foundation for the Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL), which is still in use today.
Chapter 2: Later Years and Lasting Impact
Throughout her life, Grace stayed actively involved in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Although she was placed on inactive status in 1946, she was called back to active duty in 1967 to help standardize the Navy's computer languages. Her expertise was so vital that she received multiple one-year extensions beyond the regular retirement age, ultimately achieving the rank of Rear Admiral in 1983.
Grace received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Computer Sciences "Man of the Year" award from the Data Processing Management Association in 1969—the first woman to receive this honor as an individual—and the National Medal of Technology in 1991 for her groundbreaking work in computer programming languages. She was a strong advocate for encouraging young people to pursue careers in computing and took great pride in establishing the Grace Murray Hopper Award.
"If you ask me what accomplishment I'm most proud of, the answer would be all the young people I've trained over the years; that's more important than writing the first compiler."
Grace was laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. on January 7, 1992. Today, she is celebrated as "The Amazing Grace," a title that reflects her legacy and the annual conference that unites women in technology and computer science globally.
The first video provides a biography of Grace Hopper, highlighting her contributions as a computer scientist and military leader.
The second video commemorates Grace Hopper's birth on December 09, 1906, and reflects on her enduring legacy.
Timeline of Grace Hopper's Life
- 1906: Born in New York City
- 1928: Earns B.A. in physics and mathematics from Vassar College
- 1930: Obtains M.A. at Yale
- 1931: Begins teaching as a math professor at Vassar
- 1934: Completes her Ph.D. at Yale
- 1943: Enlists in the U.S. Naval Reserve
- 1944: Commissioned as a Lieutenant and assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance's Computation Project at Harvard University
- 1945: The First Bug incident
- 1957: Develops B-0 (FLOW-MATIC), the first English-language data-processing compiler
- 1969: Receives Computer Sciences Man of the Year award
- 1991: Awarded the National Medal of Technology
- 1992: Passes away and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
- 2016: Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama
About the Author and Artist: Dr. Eleonora Adami
Dr. Eleonora Adami is a content editor and contributing artist for Women in Science, Sci-Illustrate Stories. She is a postdoctoral research fellow at Duke-NUS in Singapore, specializing in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. With a background in biotechnology and functional genomics, she completed her Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics in Germany before venturing eastward.
Eleonora is passionate about merging art with scientific practices, believing that creativity enhances both fields. Her collaboration with the Sci-Illustrate team began after she attended a course on scientific illustration. This series aims to honor the remarkable women in science who have significantly contributed to progress in various domains. Each month, the Sci-Illustrate team will profile women whose scientific endeavors have inspired and shaped the future.