Beauty and Brains–Women in the Sciences

Caroline Arnold

Professor Zaidman

Beauty and Brains: Women in Sciences

11 September 2011

Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources

Bairstow, Jeffrey. “The sayings of Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, USN.” Laser

Focus World 46.7 (2010): 76. Computers & Applied Sciences Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. The quotes that are included in this article will be used as a primary source. The quotes display Hopper’s passionate personality. They characterize Hopper to be a notable and smart leader. By reading these quotes, it is obvious that being in the Navy as a computer scientist caused Hoppers to be a tenacious and admirable woman. Hoppers was willing to take risks and be a leader.

Secondary Sources

Barker, Colin. “100 Years of Grace Hopper.” CNET News. Dec. 8, 2006. Web. 12 Sept.

2011. Barker’s article gives information about Hopper’s invention, COBOL (Common Business- Oriented Language). He discusses that Hopper in known as “the mother of COBOL.” Her invention is appreciated enormously because it is still used today. COBOL is a software system of language that is more easily understood rather than a person having to interpret mathematical notations. COBOL is still used today and is a huge factor that helps keep businesses running.

Borg, Anita and Whitney, Telle. “The Grace Hopper Celebration.” Communications of

the ACM 38.1 (1995): 50-51. Computers & Applied Sciences Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. This source will be used to discuss the “Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.” The Grace Hopper Celebration was a computing conference that took place to increase diversity in the computing field. Women were able to get together and discuss their jobs and passion for working in the computing field. It is known that women are a minority in the computer field. The Grace Hopper Celebration was created to fix that problem, increase diversity, and allow women to feel a sense of comfort with their jobs.

Orlando, Maria. “Amazing Grace.” Poptronics 3.7 (2002): 26. Computers & Applied

            Sciences Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. This article admires Hoppers

for her outstanding work. Orlando notes Hoppers to be “the patriot”, “an inspirational teacher”, and “a futurist and a pioneer.” This article includes a sample of the honors and awards Hoppers received in her life. Orlando’s article mentions many uplifting remarks of Hopper’s dedication, work, and creations that gives a sense of high praise towards her.

Sammet, Jean E. “Farewell to Grace Hopper-End of an Era!.” Communications of the

ACM 35.4 (1992): 128-131. Computers & Applied Sciences Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. Sammet’s article mentions how Hopper had a true love and appreciation for the Navy. This source makes known that Hopper was one of the greatest women in the computer field. Hopper’s involvement with her career, such as joining the Harvard faculty as a research fellow in engineering sciences, Navy service, and being involved with ACM is discussed in this source. Sammet mentions being in attendance at Hopper’s funeral and being fascinated by the number of people who also attended and were inspired by her.

Tertiary Sources

“Grace Murray Hopper.” Notable Women Scientists. Gale Group Inc. 1999. Print. This

source gives a brief summary of Hopper’s life. It includes information about Hopper becoming a computer scientist and her work in the Navy. While working as a computer scientist in the Navy, Hopper was fully committed and determined with her studies. This source mentions her creation and development of COBOL, the first English language programming system.

My name is Caroline Arnold and the woman scientist I have selected to research is Grace Murray Hopper. She is known as “the Mother of the COBOL” and “Amazing Grace.” Grace Brewster Murray was born on December 9,1906 in New York City. She was the oldest of three kids. Throughout her childhood, Grace always was curious about mechanics and machinery. At age seven, her curiosity led her to take apart the alarm clocks in her house so she could figure out and discover how they tick. Grace studied math and physics at Vassar College in 1924 then went on to continue her studies at Yale. While working her first job as a teacher at Vassar College, she met and married her husband, Vincent Hopper. Grace had a family history of serving in the military. In 1943, during World War II, she joined the U.S. Navy. In 1944, she was positioned as a lieutenant and assigned to the Bureau of Ordinance Computation Project at Harvard University. She worked on the first full-scale digital computer. After serving in the Navy, Grace felt the need to move on and begin to work jobs that were more computer-science oriented. She continued to help develop the COBOL (Common Business- Oriented Language). Her invention is appreciated enormously because it is still used today. COBOL is a software system of language that is more easily understood rather than a person having to interpret mathematical notations. COBOL is still used today and is a huge factor that helps keep businesses running. Throughout her life, Grace’s intelligence and skill with computers led her to be very successful and receive over 65 honors and awards. Grace is “remembered as a charming, tiny, white-haired lady in a Navy Uniform by her comrades and students, she was a feisty, brilliant leader with a passion for change” (Orlando “An Inspirational Teacher” 28).  She died on January 1, 1992 in Arlington, Virginia and was buried with full Naval honors. Her work, intelligence, and inventions are and will be appreciated by many people all over the world.