Great Women Rulers of Tech

12" Wooden Ruler made in U.S.A. of American-grown basswood.

This ruler features women who made an important name for themselves in various fields of technology, but most particularly in computer science.

When working with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine (considered to be the first computer), Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), daughter of the poet Lord Byron, kept elaborate notes that included what many consider the first computer program.

U.S. Navy rear admiral Grace Hopper (1905-1992) was part of the team that developed the UNIVAC computer, an early mainframe, and then went on to lead the team that developed a number of programming languages, including the very important COBOL. During her lifetime she received 40 honorary degrees from universities around the world.

Many early computer scientists worked at NASA, America’s space agency, including African-Americans Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) and Mary Jackson (1921-2005). Another NASA software engineer, Margaret Hamilton (1936- ), was director of the team that developed on-board flight software for the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission.

The dates listed are birth and death years. We also list one detail about each of the women on the list, usually the important accomplishment that they are best known for.

The “head” image is that of Annie Easley (1933-2011), developer of computer code that analyzed, among many other things, flight propulsion, rocketry, and alternative energy projects including solar and wind. Our illustration of her is based on a photograph of unknown date, taken during her time at NASA.

If you like this ruler, you might also be interested in Great Women Rulers of Science, Rulers of Science or Rulers of Flight.