A

Hopper, Grace

American Mathematician
1906–1992

A mathematician and computer programmer, Grace Murphy Hopper worked extensively with computers—including the Mark I, II, and III— throughout her career. She joined the U.S. Naval Reserves, distinguishing herself by working with computer languages as well as by becoming one of the first female rear admirals in history. Remembered for her work with Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL), she is also credited with coining the term "computer bug."

Born in New York City on December 9, 1906, Hopper was the eldest of three children. Early in life, she expressed an interest in how devices work and began taking apart various alarm clocks. Hopper's parents believed that girls should be encouraged to learn and should have the same educational opportunities as boys, a unusual position to take in the early 1900s. Her father instilled the belief that Hopper could do anything she determined to do, regardless of her gender. This belief, coupled with her natural inquisitiveness, especially in how gadgets worked, and her innate determination, informed her approach to problem solving.

When she was sixteen, Hopper applied to Vassar College but had to wait a year before she could attend as she had failed the Latin exam. She spent that year at Hartridge School in New Jersey. The following year, Vassar accepted her; four years later, in 1928, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in mathematics and physics.

Upon graduation Hopper became a mathematics graduate student at Yale. After receiving her master's degree, Hopper returned to Vassar as an instructor while continuing her graduate studies. In 1934 she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics from Yale. Hopper remained at Vassar until 1943 when, during World War II, she took a leave of absence to join the U.S. Navy. Her age, gender, and low body weight all worked against her enlisting in the military. It took a waiver of the weight requirement and special government permission for Hopper to join the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) as part of the U.S. Naval Reserves.

After graduating first in her class from the Midshipman's School for Women, Hopper was assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance Computation at Harvard University. Her first assignment was to program the Mark I computer to calculate the coefficients of the arc tangent series. The Mark I was another gadget for Hopper to explore and understand. Hopper put together a manual of operations that included an outline of the fundamental operating principles of computers.

At the end of the war in 1945, Hopper was working on the Mark II. It was during this time that she was credited for coining the term "bug." The story is that a moth flew in through a window and became trapped in the computer relays, causing a shutdown. The moth, after being extracted from the computer, was placed in the log book and labeled "computer bug."

In 1946 Hopper was released from active military duty. Rather than return to Vassar, she accepted an appointment at Harvard as a research fellow. The position allowed her to continue working on the Mark II and the Mark III until 1949. At that time she accepted a position as senior mathematician at Eckert-Mauchly Corporation, which introduced the BINAC (Binary Automatic Computer). This computer was programmed using C-10 code instead of the punched cards used by the Mark series of machines. With the development of a new computer, UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Calculator) I, Hopper worked on developing a compiler, the A-0, for translating symbolic mathematical notations into binary, machine language. After two more generations of the compiler, Hopper proposed developing a compiler that would recognize English commands. Hopper succeeded by developing the B-0 compiler, which became known as Flow-Matic. Using Flow-Matic, the UNIVAC could be used for business applications such as payroll calculations and to automate billing functions. The Flow-Matic served as the foundation for COBOL, which debuted in 1959.

Hopper continued working on related problems such as setting standards for compilers and programming language. In 1966 she retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of commander. About seven months into retirement, she was called back to help standardize high-level naval computer languages. The reappointment was initially for six months but was later extended indefinitely. In 1973 Hopper was promoted to captain and in 1977 became special adviser to the commander, Naval Data Automation Command (NAVDAC). Hopper remained in this position until she retired. She was promoted to the rank of commodore by presidential appointment and elevated to the rank of rear admiral. Hopper retired after forty-three years of service in 1986. She was eighty years old, the oldest active duty officer and one of the first women to achieve the rank of rear admiral. After retirement, Hopper served as a senior consultant to Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).

While in the U.S. Navy, Hopper taught as a guest lecturer at various colleges and universities. She received many awards and honors. In 1969 Hopper was named the first computer science "Man of the Year" by the Data Processing Management Association, and in 1991, President George H. Bush awarded her the National Medal of Technology. Rear Admiral Grace Hopper died on January 1, 1992 and was buried with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The U.S.S. Grace Hopper was named in her honor.