Sadly, being behind the Iron Curtain was likely a primary reason for her relegation to obscurity.
I also like that they tried the automatic programming with algebraic methods. Their approach might be interesting. A few correct-by-construction software and hardware approaches developed here took that approach. DDD toolkit for hardware comes to mind.
Hmm, we need more info on her to see just how much credit she's missing and give it to her.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper
Inventor of the compiler, early advocate of machine-independent computer languages, creator of COBOL, originator of the verb debugging.
> On page 117 Isaacson credits Hopper as "the technical lead in coordinating the creation of COBOL," a hugely important standard language for business programming that was defined jointly by several computer companies. Standards committee work is a difficult thing to dramatize, which is presumably why Isaacson gives COBOL no more than a passing mention, but as historian of technology Janet Abbate recently noted, his omission slights several women who, unlike Hopper, were on the technical committee in question. Among them is Jean Sammett, who made the largest single contribution to the design of COBOL. Sammet has stated that Hopper was "not the mother, creator, or developer of COBOL," an idea Hopper reportedly endorsed by calling herself the "grandmother of COBOL" rather than its creator.
> [...] Sammet has not been forgotten, as a fellow of the Computer History Museum and a winner of the IEEE Computer Pioneer Award, but sits on the wrong side of a growing chasm separating the handful of women chosen for public veneration from those whose names are known only to specialists.
> This is an example of what sociologist of science Robert K. Merton called the "Matthew Effect," the tendency for the most famous person involved in any collaborative project, however peripherally, to be remembered by the public as the key contributor. He named it after a passage in Matthew's Gospel, noting that "unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." Over time the famous become more famous, while the moderately well known are forgotten.
edit: that is not disagreement with your point, but pointing out there may be a deficiency in Wikipedia that needs correcting.
(A moth in a relay in a truly large piece of big iron.)
I think it's interesting that this folk etymology has had such a long life; it's easy to debunk, and Admiral Hopper certainly doesn't need another feather in her cap, yet it persists.
That's how it works with humans - when you have a cap full of feathers, people keep adding more and more.
So, Hopper is the first, great programmer that women bring us. Helps lay the foundation for all HLL programming. Hamilton took it to the next step to true engineering practice. Kind of set the bar high. So, she's my main mascot. Hopper's is great, though. Should probably present them all as a group with their contributions to foundations.