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<span class=prefix>RADM</span> Grace Brewster <I>Murray</I> Hopper

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RADM Grace Brewster Murray Hopper Veteran Famous memorial

Birth
New York, New York County, New York, USA
Death
1 Jan 1992 (aged 85)
Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA
Burial
Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA GPS-Latitude: 38.8775405, Longitude: -77.0654917
Plot
Section 59, Grave 973, Map grid FF 24.5
Memorial ID
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Invented COBOL. Rear Admiral (LH), U.S. Navy. She was a mathematician and a pioneer in data processing and computer science. U.S. Naval officer reaching the rank of Rear Admiral. Oldest naval officer on active duty retiring at age 79. Also known as "Amazing Grace" and "The Mother of COBOL", she was a Computer Scientist and US Navy Officer. The Guided Missile Destroyer USS Hopper is named in her honor. It was only the second US Warship to be named in honor of a woman from the Navy's own ranks. In 1947, she was working on a Mark II computer at Harvard University when a moth was discovered in a relay, impeding the computers operation. She is widely credited with coining the term "debugging" because of that event. She received a Bachelors Degree in mathematics and physics from Vassar College, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She received a Masters Degree in mathematics and physics from Yale University. She pioneered the implementation of computer coding standards for testing computer systems and components. She retired from the US Navy in 1986 aboard the USS Constitution and at that time was the oldest officer in the US Navy and held the rank of Rear Admiral, Lower Half, formerly known as Commodore. Symbolically, the USS Constitution is the oldest ship in the US Navy. She was the recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the highest non-combat related award and the highest joint services decoration.

Invented COBOL. Rear Admiral (LH), U.S. Navy. She was a mathematician and a pioneer in data processing and computer science. U.S. Naval officer reaching the rank of Rear Admiral. Oldest naval officer on active duty retiring at age 79. Also known as "Amazing Grace" and "The Mother of COBOL", she was a Computer Scientist and US Navy Officer. The Guided Missile Destroyer USS Hopper is named in her honor. It was only the second US Warship to be named in honor of a woman from the Navy's own ranks. In 1947, she was working on a Mark II computer at Harvard University when a moth was discovered in a relay, impeding the computers operation. She is widely credited with coining the term "debugging" because of that event. She received a Bachelors Degree in mathematics and physics from Vassar College, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She received a Masters Degree in mathematics and physics from Yale University. She pioneered the implementation of computer coding standards for testing computer systems and components. She retired from the US Navy in 1986 aboard the USS Constitution and at that time was the oldest officer in the US Navy and held the rank of Rear Admiral, Lower Half, formerly known as Commodore. Symbolically, the USS Constitution is the oldest ship in the US Navy. She was the recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the highest non-combat related award and the highest joint services decoration.

Bio by: Robert Fowler


Inscription

RADM
US NAVY
WORLD WAR II
KOREA
VIETNAM



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Apr 25, 1998
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1784/grace_brewster-hopper: accessed ), memorial page for RADM Grace Brewster Murray Hopper (9 Dec 1906–1 Jan 1992), Find a Grave Memorial ID 1784, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.