Grace Hopper
Navy admiral who made computers understand human-like language.
Their Story
Grace Hopper was a mathematician and U.S. Navy rear admiral who helped program the Harvard Mark I, one of the earliest computers. She believed programs could be written in words instead of numbers and led work that shaped the COBOL language. She also helped popularize the term 'debugging.'
Era
1900s
Field
Computer Science
Grace Hopper
Navy admiral who made computers understand human-like language.
Technology · Computer Science · 1900s · Women in STEM
Their Story
Grace Hopper was a mathematician and U.S. Navy rear admiral who helped program the Harvard Mark I, one of the earliest computers. She believed programs could be written in words instead of numbers and led work that shaped the COBOL language. She also helped popularize the term 'debugging.'
Key Innovation
Pioneered the first compiler and helped create COBOL, letting people program in English-like commands.
Why It Matters Today
Nearly every modern programming language builds on her idea that code can be readable by humans, not just machines.
Learn More
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper
- Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Grace-Hopper
Wilkinson STEM Education Foundation · 251 American Innovators · wilkinsonstemfoundation.org
