Women: The Unsung Heroes of Programming History
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Chapter 1: The Foundation of Software Development
As I delved into the historical aspects of computer science, I was astounded by the significant role women played in the early days of software development. It is not an exaggeration to claim that women were the true trailblazers in programming. Initially, I believed the Women in Tech movement was a recent phenomenon, but further research revealed that women's involvement in this field dates back to its inception. In fact, programming was predominantly seen as a female profession!
The First Programmers of ENIAC
When ENIAC, the first programmable electronic general-purpose digital computer, was finished in 1945, its initial programmers were all women. Known as the Eniac Six, these remarkable individuals—Kay McNulty, Betty Jennings, Betty Snyder, Marlyn Wescoff, Fran Bilas, and Ruth Lichterman—played a crucial role in pioneering programming. Although many historical photographs exist, they often lacked proper identification until Kathy Kleiman brought their stories to light in her TED talk.
Computers as Human Calculators
These six women were known as "computers" in a literal sense before the advent of actual computing machines. During World War II, many men were enlisted, creating a demand for skilled individuals to perform complex calculations for military and scientific purposes. Women with strong mathematical backgrounds stepped up, which led to many of them working at NASA as human "computers."
The Trust in Machines
When electronic computers were introduced, there was skepticism about their reliability compared to human calculations. Consequently, male engineers and scientists labeled programming as "women's work," assigning these new machines to women at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). One notable figure was Dorathy Vaughan, an African-American woman who proactively learned Fortran and led the programming section at Langley. Her story was later depicted in the film "Hidden Figures."
The Shift in Programming Demographics
Programming was initially viewed as a female-dominated field, and when a male programmer emerged, it was often met with surprise. As noted by Elsie Shutt, "It really amazed me how these men were programmers, because I thought it was women's work!" However, by the mid-1960s, the demand for programmers surged, along with their salaries, leading to a gradual shift where men began to dominate the profession.
Innovators, Not Just Programmers
These women were not merely executing code; they were instrumental in establishing the foundational principles of programming as we know them today.
The Legacy of Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician and writer from the 1800s, collaborated with Charles Babbage on the Analytical Engine, the first mechanical computer. She was the first to recognize the machine's potential beyond simple calculations and is credited with writing the first algorithm for computing Bernoulli numbers, thus earning her title as the first computer programmer.
The Contributions of Klára Dán von Neumann
Klára Dán von Neumann, wife of John von Neumann, was a pioneering Hungarian-American mathematician who executed modern-style code on a computer. Her role involved translating mathematical instructions into a language that computers could understand, leading to the creation of the term "coder."
The Development of Assembly Language
Kathleen Booth, a British computer scientist, made significant strides in the mid-1960s by writing the first assembly language and designing the assembler for early computer systems. Her work simplified the coding process by eliminating the need for manual code matching.
The Compiler Revolution
Grace Hopper, an American computer scientist and Navy rear admiral, made groundbreaking contributions by developing the first compiler, A-0, that translated programming statements into machine code. This innovation allowed for faster programming and laid the groundwork for future programming languages like COBOL.
The Concept of Debugging
Betty Snyder, one of the six ENIAC programmers, pioneered the concept of "breakpoints" for debugging long computations. Her contributions were pivotal in shaping programming practices, and she was recognized by Grace Hopper as "the best programmer" she had ever known.
Women as Pioneers of Programming
The involvement of these extraordinary women in programming is undeniable. They established foundational concepts that continue to influence the field today.
While acknowledging the contributions of men in computer science, it is crucial to recognize that women were integral from the very start and can continue to lead the charge in software development.
Women, you can achieve greatness again and again!
"If you do something once, people will call it an accident. If you do it twice, they call it a coincidence. But do it a third time and you've just proven a natural law!" — Grace Hopper
Recommended Reading
- Recoding Gender: Women's Changing Participation in Computing by Janet Abbate
- Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the First Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer by Kathy Kleiman
- Women in Computing — Wikipedia
- Women in Computing — Computing History, UK
Chapter 2: Celebrating Women in Tech
To further explore the impact of women in programming and technology, check out the following videos:
The first video titled "Women in Coding: What History Never Told Us" provides an insightful look into the historical contributions of women in technology.
The second video, "Ada Lovelace: The Original Woman in Tech," highlights the groundbreaking achievements of Ada Lovelace, shedding light on her legacy in programming.