Grace Hopper, mathematician and computer pioneer

Grace Hopper at the UNIVAC keyboard, circa 1960 (Source: wikimedia) - Historically, the role of women in scientific discoveries and advances has often been downplayed, or even completely erased, to the detriment of their male colleagues. Several of our articles have already mentioned this phenomenon, known as the Matilda effect. This theory was developed in the 1960s in the USA and given its nickname later in the 1990s, in reference to a 19th-century American feminist writer and activist by the name of Matilda Joslyn Gage. Knowing this phenomenon, it becomes obvious and important to highlight the work of all these women, who have contributed and continue to contribute to the development of science and our society in general. Today, the story of Grace Hopper will be presented in this article. Well, at least part of her story, and with good reason: it's not easy to describe all her contributions in a single article! In 1934, after obtaining her Master's and Doctorate degrees in Mathematics at Yale University, Grace Hopper began teaching at Vassar College, where she had previously obtained her Bachelor's degree. In a tense climate, due to the Second World War raging in Europe, Grace Hopper then joined the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service ), a branch of the US Army, in 1943.