Who Is Grace Hopper? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Grace Hopper was born on December 9, 1906, and is celebrated for her remarkable contributions to computer science and the U.S. Navy. As of 2025, she would have been 118 years old. Known for developing the first compiler for a computer programming language, Hopper was also instrumental in the development of COBOL, a programming language that has influenced software development globally. Her legacy extends beyond her technical skills, as she was an advocate for women in technology and excellence in computing. You can read more about her life and work on her Wikipedia page.
| Occupation | Computer Programmer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 9, 1906 |
| Age | 85 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 1 January, 1992 |
| Died Place | Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
Popularity
Grace Hopper's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details regarding Grace Hopper's height and weight are not publicly documented, she had a distinguished presence that matched her extraordinary intellect and character. Hopper was known for her practical and professional style, often seen in navy uniforms or smart attire reflecting her Navy service.
Hopper tried to be commissioned in the Navy early in World War II, however she was turned down. At age 34, she was too old to enlist and her weight-to-height ratio was too low. She was also denied on the basis that her job as a mathematician and mathematics professor at Vassar College was valuable to the war effort.
During the war in 1943, Hopper obtained a leave of absence from Vassar and was sworn into the United States Navy Reserve; she was one of many women who volunteered to serve in the WAVES.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status (Boyfriend / Girlfriend / Husband / Wife)
Grace Hopper was married to Vincent Foster Hopper, a professor of mathematics. The couple married in 1930 and later divorced in 1945, although they maintained a cordial relationship. Grace Hopper dedicated her life to her work and there is little public information regarding any relationships after her marriage. She remained focused on her military and technological career, earning respect and recognition.
She was the eldest of three children. Her parents, Walter Fletcher Murray and Mary Campbell Van Horne, were of Scottish and Dutch descent, and attended West End Collegiate Church. Her great-grandfather, Alexander Wilson Russell, an admiral in the US Navy, fought in the Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War.
Net Worth and Salary
Grace Hopper's contributions to computer science were groundbreaking, paving the way for future generations. While specific figures regarding her net worth are not available, it is acknowledged that her innovative work helped shape the computer industry, and her advancements increased the overall value of technological advancements. In her lifetime, she was recognized not just with awards but also with a significant salary due to her pivotal roles in the Navy and technology sectors.
Hopper said that her compiler A-0, "translated mathematical notation into machine code. Manipulating symbols was fine for mathematicians but it was no good for data processors who were not symbol manipulators. Very few people are really symbol manipulators. If they are, they become professional mathematicians, not data processors.
It's much easier for most people to write an English statement than it is to use symbols. So I decided data processors ought to be able to write their programs in English, and the computers would translate them into machine code. That was the beginning of COBOL, a computer language for data processors.
I could say 'Subtract income tax from pay' instead of trying to write that in octal code or using all kinds of symbols. COBOL is the major language used today in data processing."
Career, Business, and Investments
Hopper's career began in the Navy during World War II when she became one of the first female officers in the United States Naval Reserve (known as "WAVES"), where she served with distinction. After the war, she continued her career at the Harvard Computation Laboratory, contributing to groundbreaking research in computing. Hopper’s work on programming languages and compilers made her a key figure in developing computer programming as we know it today. Post-retirement, her investments and knowledge led her to establish educational initiatives encouraging women to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Before joining the Navy, Hopper earned a Ph.D. in both mathematics and mathematical physics from Yale University and was a professor of mathematics at Vassar College. She left her position at Vassar to join the United States Navy Reserve during World War II.
Hopper began her computing career in 1944 as a member of the Harvard Mark I team, led by Howard H. Aiken. In 1949, she joined the Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation and was part of the team that developed the UNIVAC I computer. At Eckert–Mauchly she managed the development of one of the first COBOL compilers.
Social Network
Grace Hopper was a trailblazer in technology who inspired countless individuals. Today, her legacy lives on through various professional organizations, scholarships, and social media communities that celebrate her life and contributions. While Hopper herself wasn't part of social media networks, she is frequently honored across platforms dedicated to her memory and encouraging women in technology.
She believed that programming should be simplified with an English-based computer programming language. Her compiler converted English terms into machine code understood by computers. By 1952, Hopper had finished her program linker (originally called a compiler), which was written for the A-0 System.
In 1954, Eckert–Mauchly chose Hopper to lead their department for automatic programming, and she led the release of some of the first compiled languages like FLOW-MATIC. In 1959, she participated in the CODASYL consortium, helping to create a machine-independent programming language called COBOL, which was based on English words.
Hopper promoted the use of the language throughout the 60s.
Education
Grace Hopper earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics from Vassar College in 1928. She later obtained her master's degree from Yale University in 1930 and went on to complete her PhD in mathematics from Yale in 1934. Her strong academic foundation greatly contributed to her exceptional career in computer science.
The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper was named for her, as was the Cray XE6 "Hopper" supercomputer at NERSC, and the Nvidia GPU architecture "Hopper". During her lifetime, Hopper was awarded 40 honorary degrees from universities across the world. A college at Yale University was renamed in her honor.
In 1991, she received the National Medal of Technology. On November 22, 2016, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
In 2024, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) dedicated a marker in honor of Grace Hopper at the University of Pennsylvania for her role in inventing the A-0 compiler during her time as a Lecturer in the School of Engineering, citing her inspirational impact on young engineers.
