Inspirational Quotes by Grace Hopper (American Mathematician)

Grace Murray Hopper (1906–92,) née Grace Brewster Murray, was an American naval officer, mathematician, and computer programmer. An admiral who never went to sea, Hopper is known for her groundbreaking efforts in developing computer technology. One of the few women to make a significant influence on the history of computing, she helped devise UNIVAC I, the first commercial electronic computer, and marine applications for COBOL (Common-Business-Oriented Language.)

Born in New York City, Hopper was educated at Vassar College, where she taught in the mathematics department 1931–44. She then joined the Naval Reserve and was drafted to join Howard H. Aiken’s Harvard team as a programmer for the Mark I computer. She progressively developed a set of built-in routines and was ultimately able to use the machine to solve complex partial differential equations.

In 1951, Hopper created a new type of internal computer program called a compiler, which was designed to examine a programmer’s instructions and produce (compile) a set of “binary” instructions that carried out the programmer’s commands. Hopper’s ideas spread and were influential in setting standards for software development.

Hopper was required through age to leave the U.S. Naval reserve in 1966, but she was called back a year later to work on their payroll software. She was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in 1985. At the age of 79, she was the oldest officer on active U.S. naval duty when she retired again in 1986.

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Grace Hopper

You manage things, you lead people. We went overboard on management and forgot about leadership. It might help if we ran the MBAs out of Washington.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Management

If it’s a good idea, go ahead and do it. It’s much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Forgiveness, Risk-taking

Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, “We’ve always done it that way.” I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counterclockwise.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Change

Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors; care for one’s crew.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Loyalty

One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Opinion, Opinions

You manage things; you lead people.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Leadership

We’re flooding people with information. We need to feed it through a processor. A human must turn information into intelligence or knowledge. We’ve tended to forget that no computer will ever ask a new question.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Computers

Life was simple before World War II. After that, we had systems.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Computers

You don’t manage people; you manage things. You lead people.
—Grace Hopper
Topics: Management

The most damaging phrase in the language is: it’s always been done that way.
—Grace Hopper

It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
—Grace Hopper

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Inspirational Quotes by Grace Hopper (American Mathematician)

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