Grace Brewster Murray Hopper

Grace’s Parents ► Grace was born on December 9,1906 to Walter Fletcher Murray and Mary Campbell Horne Murray in New York City. ► Hopper’s parents provided a strong foundation for her inquisitiveness. ► She shared the love of math with her mother who studied geometry by special arrangement when serious study of math was still thought improper for women.

Parents cont. ►H►H►H►Her father was a successful insurance broker despite the double amputation of his legs. ►H►H►H►He encouraged all his children through speech and example that they could do anything they put their mind to. ►H►H►H►He inspired Hopper to pursue higher education and to avoid being limited to typical feminine roles.

Education ► She applied to Vassar College in 1923 at the age of 16. ► Hopper failed a Latin exam and Vassar told her she must wait a year to enter their school.

Education Cont. ► She became a boarding school student at Hart ridge School in New Jersey, entering Vassar a year later. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar in 1928 with a graduates degree in mathematics and physics. ► In 1930, at the age of 23, she got her master’s in mathematics.

Pioneer Computer Scientist ►A►A►A►Although you may be constricted to feminine roles in society you can always set your mind to something and accomplish whatever you want to attain. ►H►H►H►Hopper set the standards for female computer scientists by being determined and hardworking. She never gave up and accomplished it all before her death on January 1, 1992 in Arlington, Virginia.

Bug Bug ► During her work with Mark II, Hopper was credited with coining the term "bug" in reference to a glitch in the machinery. This story is apparently a bit of computer folk- lore, however, as the term had already been used by Harvard personnel for several years to describe problems with their computers.

Bug Continued ► It is the case that she and her team of programmers did find a moth which flew through an open window and into one of Mark II's relays, temporarily shutting down the system. The moth was removed and pasted into a logbook.

Inventions ► She developed the first compiler A-0, which translated symbolic mathematical code into machine code. ► Using call numbers, the computer could retrieve subroutines stored on tape and then perform them.

Marriage ► In 1930, she married Vincent Foster Hopper, an English instructor with the New York School of Commerce. ► She divorced him several years later furthermore proving she could stand on her own two feet.

Quick Facts ► Hopper was the first woman to attain the rank of Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy. In 1991, she won the National Medal of Technology. ► She pioneered COBOL, a computer language that promoted easier access to work with computers.

Awards ► Defense Distinguished Service Medal ► Legion Of Merit ► Meritorious Service Medal ► American Campaign Medal ► World War II Victory Medal ► National Defense Service Medal ► Armed Forces Reserve Medal ► Naval Reserve Medal

Works Cited ► opper.htm opper.htm opper.htm ► ► r.html r.html r.html ►