The term “software engineer” is ubiquitous today. It’s almost hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t a part of our general vocabulary. But the actual term “software engineer” was not coined until the 1960s. And without Margaret Hamilton, it might not exist at all.
Hamilton was the leader of a team that wrote the software for the Apollo Guidance Computer which was, of course, a major part of the Apollo program from the early 1960s to the early 70s.
Vox recently featured an article on Hamilton that outlines her programming history and how her incredible code “very well might have saved the entire Apollo 11 mission.”
Check out the Vox article here for more on the software engineering pioneer’s involvement with the Apollo program.
Through our Women in Tech series on the Rocket Yard, we’ve discussed the lack of diversity in the technology industry with women comprising 51 percent of the workforce, yet only 26 percent of tech professionals. For more information and related stories, check out the OWC Blog’s Women in Tech series.
Source: www.vox.com/2015/5/30/8689481/margaret-hamilton-apollo-software
