Interlude -- Grace Hopper

							Grace Hopper (1906-1992)
• An influential force and a legendary figure in
  the development of programming languages
• The first person to conceive of the use of
  compilers in computers (operational in 1952)
      – Claimed laziness as a motivation
• The first commercial high-level programming
  language, called FLOW-MATIC
      – major forerunner of COBOL
• Instrumental role in the development of the
  COBOL
• Always held multiple jobs
      – Academia
      – Industry
      – Military

Fundamentals of Software
Development 1                                      Slide 1
                            Grace Hopper’s Bug
• Moth found trapped Mark II
  Aiken Relay Calculator while it
  was being tested 9/9/1945
     – at Relay # 70, Panel F
• Hopper coined the term “bug”
• The machine was "debugged"
  by removing the bug
     – this introduced the term
       "debugging a computer program"




 Fundamentals of Software
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Her Life
• Born December 9, 1906, in New York.
      – Oldest of 3 children
• Also known as
      – “Amazing Grace”
      – “Grand Old Lady of Software.”
• Mathematics and physics major at Vassar
  College (1928)
• MA (1930) & PhD (1934) Mathematics from
  Yale University
• Taught at Vassar College
• Rose to the rank of Rear Admiral (at age 82)

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                            Recognition
• “Man of the Year” by the Data Processing
  Management Association (1969)
• The Harry M Goode Memorial Award (1970)
• The first woman to be elected Distinguished
  Fellow of the British Computer Society (1973)
• At least 37 honorary degrees between 1972 and
  1987
• National Medal of Technology (1991)
• Also has a Navy ship named after her




 Fundamentals of Software
 Development 1                                    Slide 4
                           Sources
• http://www-groups.dcs.st-
  and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Hopper.ht
  ml




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