Thesis

       Grace Hopper’s development of the first computer compiler was an imperative stepping stone for technological innovations; it simplified the coding process. In the 1950s, computer coding used the binary number system, which was difficult to comprehend, causing a barrier permeable only to those with the highest skill in the computer coding field. Hopper’s compiler broke the language barrier between computers and programmers, permitting operators to program a computer. Furthermore, Hopper broke a gender barrier: a woman making such extraordinary progress in the computer science field, as well as achieving the rank of Rear Admiral in the Navy, was uncommon and widely discouraged in Hopper’s time.