Kaylajo Berger
5/2/11
E.L.A.
Per. 1/2
Grace Murray Hopper
Admiral Grace Murray Hopper who had dedicated her life to the Navy and computers passed away on January 1,1992 at eighty five- years old. As a Pioneer Computer Programmer and co-inventor of COBOL, she was known as the “Grand Lady of Software”,” Amazing Grace” or “Grandma COBOL”. Grace M. Hopper was born in New York City, on December 9 1906. Both of Grace's parents believed that she and her sister should have an education of the same quality of their brother. Therefore in 1928 she graduated from Vassar College with a BA in mathematics and physics and joined the Vassar College faculty. While an instructor at Vassar, she continued her studies in mathematics at Yale University. She was one of the four women in a doctoral program of ten students, and her doctorate in mathematics was a rare accomplishment in its days. Grace was known for creating some of the best tools and software’s for computers. Graces favorite saying in life is so true,” It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." (http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/hopper.htm)
Grace was the oldest of three children, and was born as Grace Brewster Murray. Her father, Walter Murray, was an insurance broker while her mother, Mary Van Horne, had a passion for mathematics, which she passed on to her daughters. She married Vincent Foster Hopper right out of college, but he died in 1945 during World War II, and they had no children together. Grace had joined the Navy in 1943 and retired in September 1986. She had two great accomplishments in life and going to Vassar College and Yale University lead her to it, it also helped having an interest in software and taking alarm clock apart and studying them since she was six.
She impacted the world by helping technology (mostly computers) advance and become easier to use. Grace also impacted America because even though she was a girl, she made great accomplishments, and back then it was very rare for a girl to do something so extraordinary. Some of Graces unique events were the invention of the compiler, which is a device that translate the computers language into English, and just alone being apart of technology at its early beings. If you think about where would our technology be today if she didn’t create the compiler so early.
Grace had helped use advance in technology back then and in a way now. Back then just helping start the beginning of almost everything we know about technology today was huge. If Grace wasn’t around back then we probably wouldn’t be were we are today with computers, software, and compilers. Also being one of the best technicians at Vassar College help spread the word that “No matter who you are go for it.’
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