On a page for its School of TechÂnolÂoÂgy, RasÂmussen ColÂlege lists six “AssumpÂtions to Avoid” for women who want to enter the field of comÂputÂer sciÂence. I couldn’t comÂment on whether these “assumpÂtions” (alleged misÂconÂcepÂtions like “the work enviÂronÂment is hosÂtile to women”) are actuÂalÂly disÂproved by the comÂmenÂtary. But I might sugÂgest a sevÂenth “assumpÂtion to avoid”—that women haven’t always been comÂputÂer sciÂenÂtists, inteÂgral to the develÂopÂment of the comÂputÂer, proÂgramÂming lanÂguages, and every othÂer aspect of comÂputÂing, even 100 years before comÂputÂers existÂed.
In fact, one of the most notable women in comÂputÂer sciÂence, Grace HopÂper, served as a memÂber of the HarÂvard team that built the first comÂputÂer, the room-sized Mark I designed in 1944 by physics proÂfesÂsor Howard Aiken. HopÂper also helped develÂop COBOL, the first uniÂverÂsal proÂgramÂming lanÂguage for busiÂness, still wideÂly in use today, a sysÂtem based on writÂten EngÂlish rather than on symÂbols or numÂbers. And she is credÂitÂed with coinÂing the term “comÂputÂer bug” (and by extenÂsion “debug”), when she and her assoÂciates found a moth stuck inside the Mark II in 1947. (“From then on,” she told Time magÂaÂzine in 1984, “when anyÂthing went wrong with a comÂputÂer, we said it had bugs in it.”)
These are but a few of her achieveÂments in a comÂputÂer sciÂence career that spanned more than 42 years, durÂing which time she rose through the ranks of the Naval Reserves, then latÂer active naval duty, retirÂing as the oldÂest comÂmisÂsioned offiÂcer, a rear admiÂral, at age 79.
In addiÂtion to winÂning disÂtinÂguished awards and comÂmenÂdaÂtions over the course of her career—including the first-ever comÂputÂer sciÂence “Man of the Year” award—Hopper also acquired a few disÂtinÂguished nickÂnames, includÂing “AmazÂing Grace” and “GrandÂma COBOL.” She may become known to a new genÂerÂaÂtion by the nickÂname, “Queen of Code,” the title of a recent docÂuÂmenÂtary from FiveThirtyEight’s “SigÂnals” series. DirectÂed by ComÂmuÂniÂty star Gillian Jacobs, the short film, which you can watch in full here, tells the stoÂry of her “inimÂitable legaÂcy as a brilÂliant proÂgramÂmer and pioÂneerÂing woman in a male-domÂiÂnatÂed field,” writes AlliÂson McCann at FiveThirÂtyEight.
Hopper’s name may be “mysÂteÂriÂousÂly absent from many hisÂtoÂry books,” as Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls notes, but before her death in 1992, she was introÂduced to milÂlions through TV appearÂances on shows like Late Night with David LetÂterÂman (top) and 60 MinÂutes, just above. As you’ll see in these clips, HopÂper wasn’t just a crack mathÂeÂmatiÂcian and proÂgramÂmer but also an ace pubÂlic speakÂer whose deadÂpan humor cracked up LetÂterÂman and the groups of stuÂdents and felÂlow sciÂenÂtists she freÂquentÂly addressed.
The 60 MinÂutes segÂment notes that HopÂper became “one of that small band of brothÂers and sisÂters who ushÂered in the comÂputÂer revÂoÂluÂtion” when she left her professor’s job at VasÂsar at the start of WWII to serve in the Naval Reserve, where she was assigned to the Bureau of Ships ComÂpuÂtaÂtion Project at HarÂvard. But she nevÂer stopped being an eduÂcaÂtor and conÂsidÂered “trainÂing young peoÂple” her secÂond-most imporÂtant accomÂplishÂment. In this, her legaÂcy lives on as well.
The world’s largest gathÂerÂing of women techÂnolÂoÂgists is called “The Grace HopÂper CelÂeÂbraÂtion.” And a docÂuÂmenÂtary in proÂducÂtion called Born with CuriosÂiÂty (see a teasÂer above) hopes that “shinÂing a light on and humanÂizÂing role modÂels like Grace makes them relatÂable in a way that inspires othÂers to greatÂness.” At a time when women make up the lowÂest enrollÂment in comÂputÂer sciÂence out of all of the STEM fields, Hopper’s examÂple and encourÂageÂment may be much needÂed.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
IntroÂducÂtion to ComÂputÂer SciÂence and ProÂgramÂming: A Free Course from MIT
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
