# Jean Bartik

> American ENIAC computer programmer (1924–2011)

**Wikidata**: [Q11428](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11428)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Bartik)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/jean-bartik

## Summary
Jean Bartik was an American computer scientist and one of the original programmers of the ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer. Born in 1924, she played a pivotal role in the early development of computing, contributing to foundational work in software engineering and programming during the mid-20th century.

## Biography
- **Born**: December 27, 1924, in Alanthus Grove, Missouri, USA
- **Nationality**: American
- **Education**:
  - Bachelor's degree from Northwest Missouri State University (1941–1945)
  - Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania (completed by 1967)
- **Known for**: Being one of the six original programmers of the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)
- **Employer(s)**:
  - Moore School of Electrical Engineering (1945–1948)
  - Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation (1948–1950)
  - Remington Rand (1950–1951)
  - Auerbach Publications (1967–1986)
  - Honeywell International, Inc. (1967–1986)
- **Field(s)**: Computer science, mathematics, software engineering, technical writing

## Contributions
Jean Bartik was one of the six women selected to program the ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer, during World War II. Her work involved calculating ballistics trajectories, which were critical for military applications. After the war, she continued to contribute to early computing by working on the development of stored-program computers, including the BINAC and UNIVAC. Bartik also played a key role in converting the ENIAC into a stored-program machine, which significantly advanced computing capabilities. Later in her career, she worked as a technical writer and editor, documenting early computing technologies and methodologies. Her contributions laid the groundwork for modern software engineering and programming practices.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was Jean Bartik?
A: Jean Bartik was an American computer scientist and one of the original programmers of the ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer. She was a pioneer in early computing and software engineering.

### Q: What was Jean Bartik's role in the ENIAC project?
A: Bartik was one of the six women selected to program the ENIAC during World War II. She worked on calculating ballistics trajectories and later helped convert the ENIAC into a stored-program machine.

### Q: What awards did Jean Bartik receive?
A: She received the Computer Pioneer Award in 2008, was inducted as a Computer History Museum Fellow in 2008, and was honored in the Women in Technology Hall of Fame in 1997.

### Q: Where did Jean Bartik study?
A: She earned her bachelor's degree from Northwest Missouri State University and later completed a master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania.

### Q: When did Jean Bartik pass away?
A: Jean Bartik died on March 23, 2011, in Poughkeepsie, New York, due to a stroke.

## Why They Matter
Jean Bartik's work on the ENIAC and early stored-program computers was foundational to the development of modern computing. Her contributions helped transition computing from hardware-focused machines to programmable systems, enabling the software revolution. Bartik's role as one of the first programmers demonstrated the critical importance of software in computing, influencing generations of programmers and computer scientists. Without her pioneering efforts, the evolution of computing might have been significantly delayed, impacting everything from scientific research to everyday technology.

## Notable For
- One of the six original programmers of the ENIAC.
- Helped convert the ENIAC into a stored-program machine.
- Recipient of the Computer Pioneer Award (2008) and Computer History Museum Fellow (2008).
- Inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame (1997).
- Worked on early computers like BINAC and UNIVAC.

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Jean Bartik, born Betty Jean Jennings on December 27, 1924, in Alanthus Grove, Missouri, grew up in a rural setting. She attended Northwest Missouri State University, where she studied mathematics and graduated in 1945. Her education laid the foundation for her future work in computing.

### ENIAC and Early Computing
In 1945, Bartik was selected to work at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. There, she became one of the six women tasked with programming the ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer. The ENIAC was initially used to calculate ballistics trajectories for the U.S. Army during World War II. Bartik and her colleagues developed programming techniques that were groundbreaking at the time, as they had to work with physical switches and cables to input instructions.

After the war, Bartik continued her work on the ENIAC, helping to convert it into a stored-program computer. This innovation allowed programs to be stored in the computer's memory, a fundamental concept in modern computing. She also worked on other early computers, including the BINAC and UNIVAC, further advancing the field of computing.

### Later Career and Legacy
Bartik's career extended beyond programming. She worked as a technical writer and editor, contributing to the documentation of early computing technologies. She was employed by companies like Remington Rand, Auerbach Publications, and Honeywell International, where she continued to influence the development of software engineering practices.

Bartik received numerous accolades for her contributions, including the Computer Pioneer Award in 2008 and induction into the Computer History Museum as a Fellow in the same year. She was also honored in the Women in Technology Hall of Fame in 1997. Her work has been recognized as pivotal in the history of computing, and she remains an inspiration to women in technology.

### Personal Life and Death
Jean Bartik passed away on March 23, 2011, in Poughkeepsie, New York, due to complications from a stroke. She was buried in Jennings Cemetery in Missouri. Her legacy continues to be celebrated in the fields of computer science and software engineering.

## Schema Markup
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  "birthDate": "1924-12-27",
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  "deathDate": "2011-03-23",
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## References

1. MacTutor History of Mathematics archive
2. [Source](https://www.computer.org/profiles/betty-jean-bartik)
3. [Google Books](https://books.google.cat/books?id=P0y6DAAAQBAJ)
4. [Source](https://books.google.cat/books?id=jjIzEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA45)
5. [Jean Bartik, Software Pioneer, Dies at 86. 2011](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/business/08bartik.html)
6. Find a Grave
7. [Source](https://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/jean-bartik/)
8. Virtual International Authority File
9. Faceted Application of Subject Terminology
10. [Source](http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102658322)
11. SNAC
12. [Computing pioneer Jean Jennings Bartik dies. 2011](http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/03/23/computers.bartik.obit/index.html?hpt=C2)
13. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013