Jean Sammet: Pioneer of Programming Languages

Jean Sammet, born on March 23, 1928, was a computer scientist and programmer who made important contributions to the development of programming languages and computer science education. Her work had a profound impact on the world of computing, and her legacy continues to influence the field to this day.

Sammet's interest in mathematics and programming began at a young age. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Mount Holyoke College in 1948 and later studied computer science at the University of Illinois. She earned her doctorate in mathematics from the university in 1968.

Sammet's early work focused on the development of programming languages. She was one of the designers of the COBOL language, which was widely used in business and government applications in the 1960s and 1970s. She also worked on the development of the FORMAC language, which was used for symbolic manipulation and algebraic computation.

Sammet was a pioneer in the field of computer science education. She developed a curriculum for teaching programming to beginners and was instrumental in establishing the Computer Science Education Special Interest Group of the Association for Computing Machinery. Her efforts helped promote computer science education and increase the number of women in the field.

Sammet was also an advocate for preserving the history of computing. She served as president of the Charles Babbage Institute, a research center dedicated to the history of computing, and was co-founder of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

Sammet's contributions to the field of computing were recognized with numerous awards and honors. She was elected a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery in 1974 and received the organization's Distinguished Service Award in 1985. In 2001, she was inducted into the International Women in Technology Hall of Fame.