Can’t Hold Us Down: Women Who Have Shaped the Tech World
Can’t Hold Us Down: Women Who Have Shaped the Tech World
Too often, history focuses on the contributions of men and not women, especially when their accomplishments are made in a traditionally male-dominated field. The tech workforce is a field in which women have made strides and significant contributions, but they rarely get the recognition they deserve. To acknowledge some of the groundbreaking work done by women in tech, I put together the following list. While certainly not exhaustive, this is a must-read introduction—because women and their achievements shouldn’t be overlooked.
Ada Lovelace
Most commonly known as the first computer programmer and the daughter of poet Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace, born 1815, was interested in science from a young age. According to Victoria Aurora, cofounder of the Ada Initiative, which supported women in tech until it closed down in 2015, “Lovelace is an unusual example of a woman for her time,” she told The New Yorker. “She was not only allowed to learn mathematics but encouraged to learn mathematics. She shows what women can do when given a chance.”
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Grace Hopper
Another trailblazer in the world of computing is Grace Hopper, born in 1906, who was a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy and held a Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale University. Some of Hopper’s achievements in tech include: programming computers; developing validation for compilers; and advocating for computer programs to be written in English. She also pushed for more user-friendly technologies and personal computers. Among her many accolades, the biggest conference of women in technology is named after her: the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.
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A Hollywood movie star during the industry’s “Golden Age,” Hedy Lamarr, born 1914, not only worked with legends including Lana Turner and Clark Gable, she also played an important role in developing wireless technology. As CNET reports, she “paved the way for Wi-Fi.” Lamarr put her technical skills to use working with George Antheil, a composer and inventor. Their work on frequencies for World War II torpedoes wasn’t used by the military, but their patent was later used by companies working on wireless technology; according to CNET, wireless tech—such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi—still use Lamarr’s process.
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http://msmagazine.com/blog/2016/05/09/cant-hold-us-down-women-who-have-shaped-the-tech-world/
