HOPPER HALL RIBBON-CUTTING TODAY at USNA

Capt MJ

Capt MJ

Serviam.
15-Year Member
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Sep 27, 2008
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Many of you know how much I respect and honor the memory of Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, an early IT Big Brain. I met her a few times near the end of her career and afterwards. A straight-shooter when she spoke. If Admiral Hyman Rickover was the Father of the Nuclear Navy, she was the Mother of Navy computer science. I have no doubt she would have been in her element in this STEM-soaked building. Lots of cool toys and gear!
 
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I saw the admiral in the Atlanta airport once. She was de-plaining while I was waiting to board. She had a small entourage of two or three who were carrying items but not her personal stuff as I recall. She is indeed a legend both in the USN and in the world of computer science. She is the epitome of the type who the SECNAV should be naming ships for. The Amazing Grace is an Arleigh Burke class DDG.

USS_Hopper_DDG-70_Crest.png
 
The Wikipedia article is quite thorough. We take it for granted now, but there was a time when it was thought computers could only do math and could only be directed by symbols. She insisted the English language could be used and then translated to machine language.
en.wikipedia.org

Grace Hopper - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Another factoid. For decades, military women could not be promoted above the rank of Commander or Lieutenant Colonel, pay grade O-5. They were forced out. Only one woman could hold the rank of Captain (O-6), and it was temporary, and that was the head of the Navy Nurse Corps (I think it was the same for Army and AF). She had to retire as a Commander. It took until the late 60’s or early 70’s for this to change (I’d have to go dig), but at last this changed, and women were promoted to Captain and Colonel in all officer specialties. CDR Hopper had been recalled to AD under a special provision, similar to ADM Rickover, both of them serving well past mandatory service retirement ages. CDR Hopper was finally promoted to Captain and then Rear Admiral.
 
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