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FEW SAILORS REALIZE THAT WITHOUT GRACE HOPPER, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY MIGHT NOT EXIST AS WE
KNOW IT TODAY.
BORN IN 1906, GRACE MARIE HOPPER EARNED A PHD IN MATHEMATICS FROM YALE AND LATER TAUGHT
MATH AT VASSER COLLEGE.
WHEN WORLD WAR TWO BROKE OUT, SHE WAS COMMISSIONED IN THE NAVY AS A LIEUTENANT J.G.
HOPPER BECAME THE FIRST PROGRAMMER ON THE NAVY'S MARK ONE COMPUTER, A MECHANICAL MARVEL
OF IT'S DAY.
ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1945 LIEUTENANT HOPPER COINED THE TERM COMPUTER BUG AFTER AN UNLUCKY MOTH
FLEW INSIDE ONE OF THE NAVY'S COMPUTER.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME A COMPUTER WAS DEBUGGED AND THE MOTH WAS TAPED INTO THEIR LOG BOOK.
AFTER THE WAR, HOPPER PERSUADED BUSINESSES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT COMPUTER LANGUAGES
COULD BE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH INSTEAD OF NUMBERS.
SHE BECAME THE CO-CREATOR OF COBOL, OR COMMON BUSINESS ORIENTED LANGUAGE, WHICH IS STILL
ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY USED PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES.
"SO MANY THINGS I HAD THAT WE HAVE TO DO. WELL WE NEED TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION,
CORRELATED, EASY TO ACCESS, WE'RE ONLY AT THE BEGINNING."
SOON AFTER HER RETIREMENT FROM THE RESERVES IN 1966, HOPPER WAS RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY
FOR SIX MONTHS.
THIS BECAME AN INDEFINITE ASSIGNMENT WHEN THE NAVY DECIDED THEY COULDN'T LOSE HER EXPERTISE.
GRACE HOPPER BECAME A REAR ADMIRAL IN 1985 AND RETIRED A YEAR LATER.
OF ALL HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, HOPPER CONSIDERED HER GREATEST TO HAVE BEEN HER 43 YEARS OF
TRAINING YOUNG SERVICE MEMBERS.
"I THINK WE ALL TOO OFTEN FORGET THAT THE GREATEST NATURAL RESOURCE WE HAVE IS OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE. THEY ARE OUR FUTURE."
THE NAVY HONORED ADMIRAL HOPPER BY NAMING AN ARLEIGH BURKE CLASS GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER
USS HOPPER.
FROM THE DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY, I'M PETTY OFFICER BRANDIE WILLS.