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Pioneering Women Programmers of ENIAC

Apr 28, 2025

The Women of ENIAC

Introduction

  • The lecture covers the contributions of the six women programmers of ENIAC.
  • ENIAC was a pioneering computer made at the University of Pennsylvania by Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.

Jean Jennings

  • Background
    • Born in a small town in Missouri, population 104.
    • Father was a one-room schoolhouse teacher, mother a math tutor despite being an 8th-grade dropout.
  • Education
    • Star pitcher, only girl on school softball team.
    • Attended Northwest State Teachers College in Missouri.
    • Initially pursued journalism, switched to mathematics.
  • Career Opportunity
    • Recruited from a help-wanted ad seeking women with math degrees for science and engineering jobs.

The Role of Women as 'Computers'

  • Early "computers" were people (mostly women) who calculated artillery trajectories manually.
  • Six women, including Jean Jennings, were chosen to program the ENIAC, a secret project.

ENIAC Programming

  • The six women programmers were:
    • Jean Jennings, Marilyn Wescoff, Ruth Lichterman, Betty Snyder, Frances Bilas, and Kay McNulty.
  • They received training at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
  • Developed close relationships and learned from different cultural and religious backgrounds.

Demonstration of ENIAC

  • The team prepared for ENIAC's public demonstration.
  • They programmed ENIAC to calculate missile trajectories and other complex computations.
  • Encountered a bug where calculations continued even after a missile hit the target; resolved with a zero function.
  • Successful demonstration featured on the front page of the New York Times, but women were not invited to the celebration dinner.

Contributions and Legacy

  • Jean Jennings and the team were instrumental in pioneering programming for ENIAC.
  • John Mauchly and Presper Eckert left Penn to form the UNIVAC company, hiring the women programmers.
  • They contributed to developments in software, including programming languages like COBOL.
  • Despite initial lack of recognition, their role in computing history has been acknowledged over time.

Conclusion

  • The six women of ENIAC exemplified the transition from hardware to software significance in computing.
  • They lived long lives and their contributions are documented in various videos and historical accounts.

These notes capture the essential details about the Women of ENIAC, their roles, and their contributions to early computing. Their story highlights the under-recognized role of women in technological advancements during and post-World War II.

Full transcript