Grace Murray HopperGrace Murray Hopper

By: Margaret Girard, Brandon By: Margaret Girard, Brandon Fitzgerald and Tabitha ThibaultFitzgerald and Tabitha Thibault

Early Childhood and FamilyEarly Childhood and Family

December 9, 1906 NYCDecember 9, 1906 NYC Walter Fletcher MurrayWalter Fletcher Murray Mary Campbell Horne Murray Mary Campbell Horne Murray Named after her mother’s best friend Named after her mother’s best friend

Grace BrewsterGrace Brewster ‘‘Amazing Grace’Amazing Grace’ Oldest of three childrenOldest of three children

MaryMary RogerRoger

Hobbies and InterestsHobbies and Interests

Summer VacationsSummer Vacations Kick the CanKick the Can Hide and SeekHide and Seek Cops and RobbersCops and Robbers ReadingReading NeedlepointNeedlepoint Playing the PianoPlaying the Piano

Grace at a Young AgeGrace at a Young Age

Very CuriousVery Curious Alarm ClocksAlarm Clocks Practice Math Skills Practice Math Skills Father’s InfluenceFather’s Influence

Grammar SchoolGrammar School

Graham School Graham School Schoonmakers School Schoonmakers School Played basketball, water polo, Played basketball, water polo,

and field hockey. and field hockey.

College DegreesCollege Degrees

Applied to Vassar in 1923Applied to Vassar in 1923 Failed first attemptFailed first attempt Attended Hartridge in NJAttended Hartridge in NJ Phi Beta Kappa 1928Phi Beta Kappa 1928 Bachelors Degrees Bachelors Degrees

After CollegeAfter College

MarriageMarriage TeachingTeaching Published Paper- “The Published Paper- “The

ungenerated seven as an index ungenerated seven as an index to Pythagorean number theory”to Pythagorean number theory”

Divorced in 1946Divorced in 1946

Pre Military CareerPre Military Career

19301930 Math Teacher at Yale University Math Teacher at Yale University

until 1934until 1934 Left YaleLeft Yale

Began teaching at Vassar, an all Began teaching at Vassar, an all girls schoolgirls school

Beginning Military CareerBeginning Military Career

34-years-old34-years-old wanted to join the Navy Waves (Women wanted to join the Navy Waves (Women

Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service)Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) Too old to enlist, and too skinnyToo old to enlist, and too skinny

December 1943 December 1943 Officially in the United States NavyOfficially in the United States Navy

19441944 First active duty assignment-Bureau of First active duty assignment-Bureau of

Ordnance Computation Project at Harvard Ordnance Computation Project at Harvard University (worked on Mark I, and wrote Manual University (worked on Mark I, and wrote Manual of Operation for the Automatic Sequence-of Operation for the Automatic Sequence-Controlled Calculator)Controlled Calculator)

Worked under Howard H. AikenWorked under Howard H. Aiken

Influenced to Join the NavyInfluenced to Join the Navy

December 7, 1941December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor, American Navy Pearl Harbor, American Navy

Base was bombedBase was bombed Family had a strong military Family had a strong military

backgroundbackground

Trying to RetireTrying to Retire

19661966 Grace retires at age 57Grace retires at age 57 Received rank of commanderReceived rank of commander

Retirement last one yearRetirement last one year 1967, called back into duty1967, called back into duty

Returning for MoreReturning for More

19671967 Assigned to Special Assistant to the Assigned to Special Assistant to the

Secretary of the Navy Secretary of the Navy Worked as an Automatic Data Worked as an Automatic Data

Processor for six monthsProcessor for six months 19731973

Becomes Captain Grace Murray Becomes Captain Grace Murray HopperHopper

19771977 Appointed Advisor to CommandorAppointed Advisor to Commandor

Serving the Navy ProudlyServing the Navy Proudly

Involuntarily retires at age 74Involuntarily retires at age 74 Served for 43 yearsServed for 43 years 19851985

Promoted to Admiral Grace Murray Promoted to Admiral Grace Murray HopperHopper

One of only a few women to receive One of only a few women to receive such an honorsuch an honor

Oldest personnel retiree in Navy Oldest personnel retiree in Navy historyhistory

One of the last WWII participant to One of the last WWII participant to leave active dutyleave active duty

Grace Hopper’s Contributions to Grace Hopper’s Contributions to ComputersComputers

Programming The First Programming The First ComputersComputers

Invented the first Invented the first compiler in 1952 (A-0)compiler in 1952 (A-0)

• It translated symbolic mathematical It translated symbolic mathematical code into machine code allowing code into machine code allowing computers to understand “human” computers to understand “human” instructionsinstructions

• FLOW-MATIC (B-0)FLOW-MATIC (B-0)• She taught UNIVAC I and II, which were She taught UNIVAC I and II, which were

two of the first commercial computers two of the first commercial computers to understand twenty English-like to understand twenty English-like statements by the end of 1956. statements by the end of 1956.

• Used for business tasks, led to COBOLUsed for business tasks, led to COBOL

Co-inventor of COBOL Co-inventor of COBOL (Common Business-Oriented (Common Business-Oriented

Language)Language)

COBOL made it possible for COBOL made it possible for computers to respond to words rather computers to respond to words rather than numbers.than numbers.

Developed a common language with Developed a common language with which computers could communicatewhich computers could communicate most widely used computer most widely used computer

business language in the worldbusiness language in the world enabled firms large and small enabled firms large and small

to compile computerized payroll,to compile computerized payroll,

billing, and other records. billing, and other records.

The Mark 1The Mark 1The First Modern ComputerThe First Modern Computer

Measured 51 feet long, 8 feet tall, and

weighed 5 tons

Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper at

Harvard University built it. The U.S. Navy used it during World

War II.

The First "Computer Bug"

Moth found trapped in the Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator while it was being tested at Harvard University, 9 September 1945.

The Mark 2 Aiken Relay Calculator

The Mark II

AwardsAwards

Named the first computer science Named the first computer science Man of the Year in 1969Man of the Year in 1969

The first woman to be elected The first woman to be elected Distinguished Fellow of the British Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society in 1973Computer Society in 1973

In 1991 President George Bush In 1991 President George Bush awarded Hopper the National Medal awarded Hopper the National Medal of Technologyof Technology

Received at least 37 honorary Received at least 37 honorary degreesdegrees

AchievementsAchievements Retiring from the Navy as a Retiring from the Navy as a

Rear Admiral and the oldest Rear Admiral and the oldest serving officer at that timeserving officer at that time

Being the first woman to be Being the first woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in awarded a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Yale Mathematics from Yale University. University.

She was the first Naval She was the first Naval Reserve woman to be called Reserve woman to be called back to active duty.back to active duty.

Grace Hopper Died on January Grace Hopper Died on January 1, 19921, 1992

She is buried in Arlington She is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in the National Cemetery, in the

middle of Section 59 (59/973) middle of Section 59 (59/973)

Remembering GraceRemembering Grace

Grace's Place is a museum Grace's Place is a museum about computers and about computers and information technology. It was information technology. It was named in memory of Rear named in memory of Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, in recognition of her contribution in recognition of her contribution to computing in general, and to computing in general, and specifically business computing. specifically business computing.