# Lorinda Cherry

> Computer scientist and original Unix team member (1944-2022)

**Wikidata**: [Q4815272](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4815272)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorinda_Cherry)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lorinda-cherry

## Summary
Lorinda Cherry was an American computer scientist and pioneering member of the original Unix team at Bell Labs. She made significant contributions to early computing, including the development of the Writer's Workbench, bc, dc, and eqn tools. Cherry was also a competitive rally driver and dog trainer, earning recognition in both technology and motorsports.

## Biography
- Born: November 18, 1944
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Bachelor of Science in mathematics from University of Delaware (1966); Master's degree in computer science from Stevens Institute of Technology (1969)
- Known for: Development of Unix tools including Writer's Workbench, bc, dc, and eqn
- Employer(s): Bell Labs (1969-1994)
- Field(s): Computer science, software development

## Contributions
Lorinda Cherry was a key member of the original Unix team at Bell Labs, where she developed several influential tools that became standard parts of the Unix operating system. Her most notable contribution was the Writer's Workbench, a collection of tools for text analysis and document preparation that helped establish Unix as a platform for technical writing. She also created bc (an arbitrary-precision arithmetic language utility) and dc (a reverse-polish desk calculator), both of which remain in use today. Additionally, Cherry developed eqn, a tool for typesetting mathematical equations, which was groundbreaking for its time. Her work at Bell Labs from 1969 to 1994 helped shape the development of Unix and established many of the text processing capabilities that are now fundamental to modern computing.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Lorinda Cherry best known for?
A: Lorinda Cherry is best known for being a member of the original Unix team at Bell Labs and for developing key Unix tools including Writer's Workbench, bc, dc, and eqn.

### Q: Where did Lorinda Cherry work?
A: Lorinda Cherry worked at Bell Labs from 1969 to 1994, where she was part of the team that developed Unix and its associated tools.

### Q: What awards did Lorinda Cherry receive?
A: Lorinda Cherry received the William G. Giltzow Award in 1988 from the Sports Car Club of America and the NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award in 2017.

## Why They Matter
Lorinda Cherry's contributions to Unix and early computing have had a lasting impact on how we interact with computers today. Her development of text processing tools helped establish Unix as a powerful platform for technical and scientific work, influencing generations of software development. The tools she created, particularly bc and eqn, remain in use decades later, demonstrating their fundamental utility. Beyond her technical contributions, Cherry broke barriers as a woman in computer science during a time when the field was overwhelmingly male-dominated. Her success in both technology and motorsports also challenged stereotypes about women's capabilities in technical and competitive fields. Cherry's work helped lay the foundation for modern text processing, mathematical computing, and document preparation systems that are essential to contemporary computing.

## Notable For
- Member of the original Unix development team at Bell Labs
- Creator of Writer's Workbench, a pioneering text analysis tool
- Developer of bc, an arbitrary-precision arithmetic language still used today
- Recipient of the NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award (2017)
- Competitive rally driver and Sports Car Club of America award winner

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Lorinda Cherry was born on November 18, 1944, in the United States. She demonstrated early aptitude in mathematics, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Delaware in 1966. She continued her education at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she completed a Master's degree in computer science in 1969.

### Career at Bell Labs
Cherry joined Bell Labs in 1969, becoming part of the legendary Unix development team. Her work focused on developing tools for text processing and mathematical computation. She created bc, a utility that implements an arbitrary-precision arithmetic language, which was first released in 1975 and remains a standard Unix tool. Her development of eqn revolutionized the typesetting of mathematical equations, making it possible to include complex mathematical notation in documents.

### Writer's Workbench
Perhaps her most significant contribution was the Writer's Workbench, a collection of tools for analyzing and improving text. This suite included programs for spelling checking, style analysis, and readability assessment. The Writer's Workbench was groundbreaking in its time and helped establish Unix as a platform for technical writing and document preparation.

### Motorsports and Other Interests
Outside of computing, Cherry was an accomplished rally driver and was active in the Sports Car Club of America. She received the William G. Giltzow Award in 1988 for her contributions to motorsports. She was also a dog trainer, demonstrating her diverse interests and capabilities across different fields.

### Legacy and Recognition
Cherry's work has been recognized with several honors, including the NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award in 2017, which acknowledged her groundbreaking contributions to computing. Her tools and contributions continue to influence modern computing, and she is remembered as a pioneer who helped shape the development of Unix and its associated tools.

## References

1. [Lorinda Cherry](https://ncwit.org/profile/lorinda-cherry/)
2. [Source](https://www.ncwit.org/profile/lorinda-cherry)
3. [Source](https://minnie.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2022-February/025390.html)
4. [Source](https://www.scca-nnjr.com/index.php/about-us/william-g-giltzow-award)
5. [Lorinda L Cherry from Gillette, NJ](https://nuwber.com/person/563a7d76cf00835c7f661099)
6. [“He who touched it last, owned it”: On the death of Unix pioneer Lorinda Cherry. 2022](https://www.kiratas.com/he-who-touched-it-last-owned-it-on-the-death-of-unix-pioneer-lorinda-cherry/)