# Grace Hopper

> American computer scientist and United States Navy officer (1906–1992)

**Wikidata**: [Q11641](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11641)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/grace-hopper

Here’s the structured biographical entry for Grace Hopper:

---

## Summary  
Grace Hopper was an American computer scientist and United States Navy officer (1906–1992). She pioneered early programming languages, most notably FLOW-MATIC, and was instrumental in the development of COBOL, revolutionizing computer programming accessibility.

---

## Biography  
- **Born**: December 9, 1906, in New York City  
- **Nationality**: United States  
- **Education**:  
  - Bachelor’s in mathematics and physics from Vassar College (1928)  
  - Master’s (1930) and PhD (1934) in mathematics from Yale University  
- **Known for**: FLOW-MATIC programming language and contributions to COBOL  
- **Employer(s)**:  
  - Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation (1949–1971)  
  - Sperry Corporation (1955–1966)  
  - Digital Equipment Corporation (1986–1990)  
  - United States Navy (1943–1986)  
- **Field(s)**: Computer science, mathematics, software engineering  

---

## Contributions  
Grace Hopper’s most significant contribution was the development of **FLOW-MATIC** (1955), the first English-like programming language, which laid the groundwork for **COBOL** (1959). She advocated for machine-independent programming languages, making computing accessible beyond specialized mathematicians. As a Navy officer, she worked on the **Harvard Mark I** computer and coined the term "debugging" after removing a moth from its circuits. Her work standardized programming practices and influenced modern software engineering. Hopper also played a key role in **CODASYL**, the consortium that standardized COBOL, ensuring its widespread adoption in business and government systems.

---

## FAQs  
### Q: What programming language did Grace Hopper invent?  
A: Hopper developed **FLOW-MATIC** (1955), the first English-like programming language, which directly influenced COBOL.  

### Q: Why is Grace Hopper called "Amazing Grace"?  
A: Her nickname reflects her groundbreaking contributions to computer science and her trailblazing role as a female Navy rear admiral.  

### Q: What was Grace Hopper’s role in the Navy?  
A: She joined the **U.S. Naval Reserve WAVES** in 1943, rising to the rank of rear admiral by 1985, while advancing military computing technology.  

---

## Why They Matter  
Grace Hopper democratized programming by replacing arcane machine code with human-readable languages like FLOW-MATIC and COBOL. Her innovations enabled non-specialists to write software, accelerating the computer revolution. Without her work, modern software development might still rely on low-level coding, limiting accessibility. Hopper also broke barriers as one of the few women in mid-20th-century computing, inspiring generations of female technologists. Her legacy endures in standards like COBOL, which remains foundational in legacy systems worldwide.  

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## Notable For  
- **FLOW-MATIC**: First English-like programming language (1955).  
- **COBOL**: Key contributor to its standardization (1959).  
- **Military Rank**: One of the first female rear admirals in the U.S. Navy (1985).  
- **Awards**: National Medal of Technology (1991), Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumously, 2016).  
- **"Debugging"**: Popularized the term after fixing a hardware glitch caused by a moth.  

---

## Body  
### Early Life and Education  
- Born **Grace Brewster Murray** in New York City (1906).  
- Earned a PhD in mathematics from Yale (1934) under **Øystein Ore**.  

### Career Highlights  
- **Harvard Mark I**: Programmed the first large-scale computer (1944).  
- **FLOW-MATIC**: Developed at **Remington Rand** (1955).  
- **Navy Service**: Served for 43 years, retiring as rear admiral (1986).  

### Awards and Honors  
- **Defense Distinguished Service Medal** (1985).  
- **IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award** (1988).  
- Inducted into the **National Women’s Hall of Fame** (1994).  

---

## Schema Markup  
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  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Grace Murray Hopper",
  "jobTitle": "Computer Scientist, United States Navy Officer",
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  "nationality": {"@type": "Country", "name": "United States"},
  "birthDate": "1906-12-09",
  "birthPlace": "New York City, USA",
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---

## References

1. The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science
2. [Source](http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/12155/title/Rear-Admiral-Grace-Murray-Hopper/)
3. [Source](http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/an/1992/02/man1992020055.pdf)
4. [Source](http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/85/3967/04460716.pdf?arnumber=4460716)
5. [Source](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15952227)
6. Genealogics
7. MacTutor History of Mathematics archive
8. [Alumnae biographical register issue.. Vassar College Alumnae Biographical Register, 1939](https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b3102281)
9. [Source](http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/tap/Files/hopper-story.html)
10. [Source](http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Mathematicians/Hopper.html)
11. NNDB
12. [Source](http://www.nndb.com/honors/095/000047951/)
13. [Source](http://www.nndb.com/honors/287/000043158/)
14. [Source](http://www.nndb.com/lists/861/000106543/)
15. [Source](https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/arlington-national/)
16. [Source](http://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/grace-murray-hopper/)
17. [Source](https://www.nationalmedals.org/laureates)
18. [Source](https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/grace-hopper/)
19. [Source](https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/piore_rl.pdf)
20. [Source](http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=97807)
21. [Source](https://alumni.yale.edu/content/medalists-year)
22. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/award_winners/hopper_1704723#144)
23. [Source](https://www.computer.org/volunteering/awards/goode)
24. [Source](https://www.washingtonaward.com/directory/1980s/)
25. [Source](https://history.computer.org/pioneers/hopper.html)
26. Mathematics Genealogy Project
27. International Standard Name Identifier
28. Virtual International Authority File
29. [Source](http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102702026)
30. [Source](http://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/NMAH.AC.0324.pdf)
31. SNAC
32. Find a Grave
33. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
34. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
35. [Source](http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2015/06/102702026-05-01-acc.pdf)
36. Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age
37. [Source](http://www.sciencestories.io/Q11641)
38. IdRef
39. [Source](http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/12/09/grace-hopper-navy-to-the-core-a-pirate-at-heart/)