Grace Hopper

  • Grace Hopper Earns her PhD

    Grace Hopper Earns her PhD
    Grace Hopper had previously earned her master's at Yale in 1930, but four years later, she had managed to get her PhD in mathematics. This was a very important first step in her career. Her college life had consisted of involvement in a sorority and of course, academics. Her work was only beginning to pay off at this point in her life, as her career would continue to expand for many years to come.
  • Hopper joins the US Military (Navy)

    Hopper joins the US Military (Navy)
    After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hopper decided to contribute to World War ll. Many people were uncertain of her abilities at this point, as she was a young, small woman whose skills were unknown. At first, she was limited to the standard "woman" jobs, but eventually she was moved to the Bureau of Ships Computation Project at Harvard. This is when she really began coding for the military, and when they really began letting her.
  • The MARK 1

    The MARK 1
    In 1945, the MARK 1 had been in the works for a year, and would continue for another year after. Hopper was able to contribute greatly to its creation, as she is recognized as one of the main three coders who programmed the MARK 1. This was a major step for her career, and for all woman in computer science, a male-dominated field, as the MARK 1 was the first electromechanical computing machine in the United States.
  • Hopper creates a new computer language

    Hopper creates a new computer language
    From about 1950-1959, Hopper was pushing for a new form of coding. He believed that the symbols being used to program at the time were overly complicated, and that they could expand the community of coders by creating a new, English-based computing language. She was met with much doubt, but she worked on her English-based language, FLOW-MATIC, for many years.
  • Hopper receives award

    Hopper receives award
    In 1969, Grace Hopper received an award called "Data Processing Management Association Man of the Year," making her the first female recipient of this award.
  • Hopper receives second award

    Hopper receives second award
    Grace Hopper was also the first woman to become a Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society. This award is also a fellowship for those who have made major contributions to computing.
  • Hopper is promoted

    Hopper is promoted
    Also in 1973, Grace Hopper is promoted to Captain, as well as performing the duties of her title as Director of the Navy Programming Languages Group. In this position, she further developed COBOL, a computer language she played a role in creating.
  • Hopper's teaching career

    Hopper's teaching career
    This year was the peak of Hopper's teaching career. She lectured at George Washington University, teaching about Management Sciences. She was a teacher throughout much of the later years of her career and inspired many people to join the Navy.
  • The GHC is formed

    The GHC is formed
    In this year, the unofficial (became official in the 1990s) group if female coders came together in honor of Grace Hopper. This group is called the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. To this day, it is the largest women's group in computation.
  • Hopper is added to Women's Hall of Fame

    Hopper is added to Women's Hall of Fame
    Hopper was added to the Women's Hall of Fame, as at this point in her career, she was largely known for her work in computation, especially when it came to teaching it at universities, as well as the work she did for the Navy.
  • Hopper Retires

    Hopper Retires
    After working in the U.S. Navy Reserves for over forty years. She was 85 years old when she retired. During her retirement, she was the oldest member of the Navy.
  • Computer Pioneer Award

    Computer Pioneer Award
    The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) awarded Grace Hopper the Computer Pioneer Award in 1996 to honor her brilliance and leadership skills in computer science.
  • Hopper's Death

    Hopper's Death
    Grace Hopper passed away in her sleep and is remembered for all she accomplished.
  • The"Grace Hopper" (DDG-70)

    The"Grace Hopper" (DDG-70)
    The U.S. Navy named a guided missile destroyer after Grace Hopper to honor her after her passing. This way, her legacy continued in America's military after her death a few years prior.
  • National Medal of Technology

    National Medal of Technology
    In the year 2000, after her death, Grace Hopper was awarded the National Medal of Technology, which honored her groundbreaking contributions to the engineering of Naval software.