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Women Pioneers in Computing: Overlooked Contributions & Impact on the Industry

Delve into the lesser-known yet impactful history of women in computing, from Ada Lovelace to Grace Hopper. Despite their significant contributions, women's involvement in the field has seen a decline. Explore the groundbreaking work and challenges faced by these pioneering figures.

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Women Pioneers in Computing: Overlooked Contributions & Impact on the Industry

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  1. “Women have been involved in computing since its inception, and though the proportion of women in the field (about 13%) is far less than are to be found in our society,they still have a strong impact on our industry. The column could easily be filled with just the names of the women who have contributed to the field of computing, but most of them are still unknown, overshadowed by the myriad male innovators and often by their husbands.” (Virginia Tech project on history of computing.)

  2. Women in Computing • Ada King, Countess of Lovelace; daughter of Lord Byron (1815-1852) • Student of mathematics • Worked with Charles Babbage on his analytic engine (calculating machine) • Invented idea of a loop in a program

  3. Grace Hopper (1906-1992) • Held a PhD in Mathematics • Taught at Vassar and then joined US Navy—attained rank of admiral • Invented the compiler, coined the term “debugged the computer,” worked on COBOL

  4. WW II • Britain • Code breaking activity—the Colossus—operated by Womens Royal Naval Service (WRNS) • US • Code breaking activity—NCR in Dayton, Ohio, operated by Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES)

  5. ENIAC • Replaced the 100 women who used electrical calculators to compute firing tables for artillery guns (known as “computers”) • Six original programmers • Kathleen McNulty, Frances Bilas, Betty Jean Jennings, Elizabeth Snyder, Ruth Lichterman, Marilyn Wescoff

  6. Decline in Women’s Involvement • 1996: only 17% of high school students taking AP exam in CS were women • Since 1983, steady decline in BA’s in CS awarded to women, from almost 40% in the mid-1980’s to 16% in 1997 • 1994: under 6% of professors in CS departments were women • Drop in percentage of women in IT industry, from 35% (1990) to 29% (1997); Intel (25% female employees) and Microsoft (16% female employees)

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