# Adele Goldberg

> American computer scientist (born 1945)

**Wikidata**: [Q11605](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11605)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_Goldberg_(computer_scientist))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/adele-goldberg

## Summary

Adele Goldberg was born on July 22, 1945, in Cleveland.[1] She has United States citizenship.[2]

## Summary
Adele Goldberg is an American computer scientist born in 1945, best known for her foundational work on the Smalltalk programming language, which pioneered object-oriented programming and influenced modern software development. A prominent figure in the field of computer science, she contributed significantly to the design of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and collaborative computing environments.

## Biography
- **Born**: July 7, 1945, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.  
- **Nationality**: United States  
- **Education**:  
  - PhD in Computer Science, University of Chicago (1973)  
  - Master of Information Science, University of Chicago (1969)  
  - University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (1967)  
- **Known for**: Developing the Smalltalk programming language and advancing object-oriented programming.  
- **Employer(s)**: Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), IBM.  
- **Field(s)**: Computer science, programming, human-computer interaction.  

## Contributions
Adele Goldberg led the development of **Smalltalk**, a groundbreaking programming language created at Xerox PARC in the 1970s. Smalltalk introduced object-oriented programming concepts, which became a cornerstone of modern software design. Her work directly influenced the creation of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), including the Xerox Alto computer, which inspired later systems like Apple’s Macintosh. Goldberg emphasized the importance of programming environments that enabled collaboration and ease of use, shaping the trajectory of personal computing. She co-authored the 1983 book *Smalltalk-80: The Interactive Programming Environment*, which detailed the language’s design philosophy. Her contributions were recognized with the **ACM Software System Award** (1987) for Smalltalk’s impact on the software industry.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Adele Goldberg best known for?  
A: Goldberg is best known for developing the Smalltalk programming language, which pioneered object-oriented programming and influenced GUI design.  

### Q: Where did Adele Goldberg work?  
A: She worked at Xerox PARC, where she led the Smalltalk project, and later at IBM.  

### Q: What awards has Adele Goldberg received?  
A: She received the ACM Software System Award (1987), was named an ACM Fellow (1994), and was inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame (2010).  

## Why They Matter
Adele Goldberg’s work on Smalltalk revolutionized programming by introducing object-oriented principles, which remain central to software development today. Her emphasis on intuitive, user-centric design directly influenced the evolution of graphical interfaces, democratizing access to computing for non-technical users. Without Goldberg’s innovations, modern programming languages and GUI-driven applications—from smartphones to web platforms—would lack their foundational structure. Her collaborative approach to software development also reshaped industry practices, prioritizing flexibility and human interaction in computing systems.

## Notable For
- **Creator of Smalltalk**: A seminal programming language that introduced object-oriented programming.  
- **ACM Fellow** (1994) and **ACM Software System Award** recipient (1987).  
- **Pioneered GUI Development**: Contributed to the Xerox Alto project, which inspired commercial GUI systems.  
- **Women in Technology Hall of Fame** inductee (2010).  

## Body
### Early Life and Education  
Adele Goldberg was born on July 7, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan (1967) and a master’s in information science (1969) and PhD in computer science (1973) from the University of Chicago. Her doctoral advisor was philosopher and mathematician Patrick Suppes.  

### Career  
Goldberg joined Xerox PARC in 1973, where she led the team that developed **Smalltalk**, a language designed to make programming accessible and intuitive. Her work at PARC focused on creating collaborative computing environments, including the first GUIs. She later worked at IBM and consulted on object-oriented systems.  

### Major Works  
- **Smalltalk Programming Language** (1972–1980): Emphasized object-oriented design and influenced languages like Java and Python.  
- *Smalltalk-80: The Interactive Programming Environment* (1983): A seminal book detailing Smalltalk’s architecture and philosophy.  
- **ACM Software System Award** (1987): Recognized Smalltalk’s “elegance, efficiency, and innovation.”  

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Adele Goldberg",
  "jobTitle": "Computer Scientist",
  "worksFor": [
    {"@type": "Organization", "name": "Xerox PARC"},
    {"@type": "Organization", "name": "IBM"}
  ],
  "nationality": {"@type": "Country", "name": "United States"},
  "birthDate": "1945-07-07",
  "birthPlace": "Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.",
  "alumniOf": [
    {"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Chicago"},
    {"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Michigan"}
  ],
  "knowsAbout": ["Computer Science", "Programming Languages"],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q315315",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_Goldberg_(computer_scientist)"
  ],
  "description": "American computer scientist known for developing the Smalltalk programming language."
}

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. IdRef
3. article
4. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/newell/award-recipients)
5. [Source](https://www.witi.com/halloffame/)
6. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/fellows/award-recipients)
7. [Source](https://www5.open.ac.uk/students/ceremonies/sites/www.open.ac.uk.students.ceremonies/files/files/Honorary%20graduate%20cumulative%20list(7).xlsx)
8. [Source](https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/05/102701984-05-01-acc.pdf)
9. International Standard Name Identifier
10. Open Library
11. CiNii Research
12. Virtual International Authority File
13. [Source](http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102701984)
14. [Source](https://computerhistory.org/profile/adele-goldberg/)
15. GRID
16. Library of Congress Authorities
17. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
18. CONOR.SI