A
Hollywood biopic about the life of computer pioneer Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992) would go something like this:
a young professor abandons the ivy-covered walls of academia to serve her country in the Navy after Pearl Harbor and finds
herself on the front lines of the computer revolution. She works hard to succeed in the all-male computer industry,
and is almost overcome by personal challenges but survives them, and ends her career as a celebrated elder stateswoman of
the information age, a heroine to thousands, hailed as the inventor of computer programming. In Grace Hopper
and the Invention of the Information Age, Dr. Kurt Beyer goes beyond the screenplay-ready story to reveal a
more authentic Hopper, a vibrant, complex, and intriguing woman whose career paralleled the meteoric trajectory of the postwar
computer industry.
I am humbled by the number of old friends who came out to see me speak at various locations around Washington,
DC and Annapolis last week. Writing a book is a test of patience and perseverance, and finally to get the opportunity
to share the amazing story of Grace Hopper makes all those lonely nights worth it.
Each audience found something
interesting about her story.At the Smithsonian colloquium we focused on the history of the computer industry, while at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory we discussed the organization of technical innovation.My most favorite event was talking to students
about Grace Hopper, for she is a role model for those who believe in creativity and public service.
The Washington, DC book tour started with a good omen. In the airport I
ran into Bob Kahn, the man who, along with Vint Cerf, invented Internet TCP IP protocal and who headed
up DARPA's Information Processing Techniques Office that demonstrated ARPA-NET in 1972. Along with Bob Kahn was General
Brent Scowcroft, the National Security Advisor for George Bush Senior. Dr. Kahn and General
Scowcroft both knew Grace Hopper personally and were excited about the book. I have to admit that the geek in me was
starstruck when meeting Bob Kahn. I hope I didn't freak him out, but I once gave a lecture on his work and started nervously
spouting out facts about his career. He turned a little red, but hey, he deserves to be treated like a rock star!!!!
Stay tuned for more about the tour....
Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-founder, National Center for Women and Information Technology
"I saw Grace Hopper speak when I was a young software programmer
at Bell Labs. While she spoke of great technology and the power of computing, she also re-enforced the creative power
of youthful thinking, public speaking, and collaborative efforts. Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information
Age brings all of those themes together in a compelling way, placing Grace Hopper where she belongs, as the creative genesis
of the technology upon which our world depends."
The Silicon Valley Computer History Museum hosted a lunchtime conversation between author Kurt Beyer
and Northern California Public Broadcasting’s Linda O’Bryon. The event was sponsored by SAP and was attended
by 400 attendees, many of whom worked in the computer industry.
Click To See TV Show
Press: Here’ is a Sunday morning news roundtable discussion
show featuring the top names in Silicon Valley's technology industry and world class technology reporters from The New York
Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, Businessweek, Yahoo Finance, Forbes, NPR, the BBC and Fortune.
USAA Nexus Speaker Series
Kurt Beyer discussed the contributions of Grace Hopper at USAA's Distinguished
Speaker Series in San Antonio. Click Here for a list of talks and lectures near you.
Booklist names Grace Hopper and the Invention
of the Information Age a Top Ten Science and Technology book for 2009.
"The obsessions of this stellar group of science writers—including polar
bears, a missing aviator, dawn, computer programming, dogs, and antimatter—inspired a year’s worth of significant
and intriguing books."Click Here
Author Kurt Beyer Interviewed by Smithsonian
The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation interviewed author Kurt Beyer about
the career of Grace Hopper, the history of the computer industry, the process of innovation, and the nature of invention.
