Life
Born in New York City in 1906, Grace Murray Hopper was voraciously curious from her earliest years, ultimately earning advanced degrees in mathematics and physics at a time when few women did. Her path defied expectations, leading her from academia to the frontlines of computing and the U.S. Navy.
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Early Years
Grace Murray Hopper was born on December 9, 1906, in New York City to Walter Fletcher Murray and Mary Campbell Van Horne Murray. She grew up in a comfortable and intellectually nurturing household alongside her younger sister and brother. Her father, an insurance broker, firmly believed that his daughters should receive the same educational opportunities as his son, a forward-thinking stance that greatly influenced Grace’s development. Her mother, who had studied geometry and loved mathematics, also helped spark Grace’s early interest in numbers and problem-solving.
StoriesThe Legacy of Grace Hopper
The world is waking up to the contributions of Grace Murray Hopper ’28, computer pioneer, Navy Rear Admiral, and former Vassar Assistant Professor. It’s about time.
From an early age, Grace was filled with curiosity and determination. One of the most often-told stories from her childhood describes how she dismantled seven alarm clocks to learn how they worked—though only managed to reassemble a few of them correctly. This mix of fascination with machines and a hands-on approach to learning would become hallmarks of her life. She also developed a passion for reading, particularly enjoying adventure stories and biographies of inventors and scientists.
Grace’s early education took place at private schools in New York City, where she quickly excelled in math and science. Her inquisitive mind and independent spirit made her a standout student, though her path was not without obstacles. She faced societal expectations that limited women’s roles, especially in technical fields, but her family’s support and her own resolve allowed her to push forward. She often sought out extra lessons and found creative ways to challenge herself academically.
“Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counterclockwise.”
By the time she was a teenager, Grace had set her sights on higher education. Despite lingering prejudices against women in academia, she was determined to study mathematics, a field she felt offered endless puzzles and opportunities for exploration. She began her journey at Vassar in 1924.
At Vassar
When Grace Murray Hopper arrived on campus in the early 1920s, she was entering a world that was just beginning to open its doors to women in the sciences. Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, Vassar was one of the few institutions at the time that encouraged young women to pursue academic excellence in traditionally male-dominated fields. Hopper chose to study mathematics and physics, drawn to their structure, logic, and endless opportunities for problem-solving. She quickly stood out for her inquisitive mind and intense curiosity.
VCEncyclopediaGrace Murray Hopper ’1928
“Computer pioneer, mathematician and teacher Grace Murray Hopper recalled seeing her first computer, the UNIVAC ‘thinking machine’: ‘When I walked in and saw that monster, I was scared to death!’” Read more about Hopper on the VCEncyclopedia.
In her mathematics and physics courses, Hopper excelled. She was known for asking questions that went beyond the textbook, always wanting to understand the “why” behind the formulas. Her professors recognized her talent and encouraged her to continue her studies. Vassar’s supportive academic environment allowed Hopper to explore ideas freely and helped foster the critical thinking skills that would later define her innovations in computer science.
By her senior year, Hopper had become a standout student with a clear passion for mathematics. She graduated in 1928 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics, ready to take her education to the next level. Her performance and promise earned her admission to graduate studies at Yale University, where she would go on to earn a master’s degree and eventually a PhD in mathematics. These achievements were groundbreaking for a woman in the 1920s and 1930s and signaled the start of a remarkable academic and professional journey.
Hopper’s years at Vassar were a time of growth, challenge, and discovery. The College gave her a foundation of rigorous learning and intellectual independence, as well as the space to recover from failure and come back stronger. These formative years not only deepened her love for mathematics but also shaped her into a resilient and innovative thinker. Her experiences at Vassar laid the groundwork for a lifetime of bold exploration and trailblazing contributions to science, education, and the U.S. Navy.
The Military
Grace Murray Hopper’s military career began in 1943, during World War II, when she joined the U.S. Navy Reserve. At the time, she was a mathematics professor at Vassar and already held a Ph.D. from Yale. Motivated by a desire to serve her country and apply her skills in a practical way, she attempted to enlist in the Navy. Though initially rejected due to her age and small stature, she persisted and was eventually accepted into the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) and commissioned as a lieutenant junior grade.
Hopper was assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance Computation Project at Harvard University, where she worked with Howard Aiken on the Harvard Mark I computer, one of the earliest electromechanical computers. There, she helped write the first computer programs used for calculations related to the war effort, including gunnery and missile trajectories. Her work on the Mark I marked her formal entry into computer science, a field she would help shape for the rest of her life. She remained at Harvard as a research fellow after the war, working on the Mark II and Mark III computers as well.
“They told me computers could only do arithmetic.”
In 1946, Hopper requested to transfer to the regular Navy but was denied due to her age and the fact that she was still a reservist. She continued her work in computing while maintaining her reserve status, eventually leaving active duty but continuing her groundbreaking contributions in the private sector with companies like Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation and Remington Rand. She was instrumental in the development of the first compiler and later the COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) programming language, which would become standard in business computing.
Despite working in the private sector, Hopper remained closely connected to the Navy. Her expertise was so valued that she was recalled to active duty in 1967, at the age of 60, to help standardize computer languages for the military. She was promoted through the ranks and became a powerful advocate for modernization and education within the military’s computing infrastructure. Known for her sharp intellect and engaging teaching style, she mentored generations of young service members and engineers.
Hopper retired from the Navy in 1986 as a rear admiral, the oldest active-duty commissioned officer in the service at the time. Her retirement ceremony was held aboard the USS Constitution in Boston, a fitting tribute to someone who had helped build the foundation of the digital Navy. Throughout her military career, Hopper received numerous honors, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her time in the Navy was defined by persistence, brilliance, and a fierce commitment to bringing the future of technology into the service of her country.