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{{Infobox scientist
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Lois Haibt
| name = Lois Haibt
| birth_name = Lois Mitchell
| birth_name = Lois B. Mitchell
| birth_date = 1934
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1934}}
| birth_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]]
| birth_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]]
| nationality = American
| nationality = American
Line 14: Line 14:
}}
}}


'''Lois Mitchell Haibt''' (born 1934) is an American [[computer scientist]] best known for being a member of the ten-person team at [[IBM]] that developed [[Fortran|FORTRAN]], the first successful high-level [[programming language]]. She is known as an early pioneer in computer science.
'''Lois B. Mitchell Haibt''' (born 1934) is an American [[computer scientist]] best known for being a member of the ten-person team at [[IBM]] that developed [[Fortran|FORTRAN]], the first successful high-level [[programming language]]. She is known as an early pioneer in computer science.


== Education and career==
== Education and career==
Haibt studied mathematics at [[Vassar College]] with an academic scholarship. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1955. While at Vassar, Haibt worked at [[Bell Laboratories]] during the summer.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bobbemer.com/PRORES.HTM|title=The FORTRAN Builders|last=Bemer|first=Bob|website=www.bobbemer.com|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref>
Haibt studied mathematics at [[Vassar College]] with an academic scholarship. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1955. While at Vassar, Haibt worked at [[Bell Laboratories]] during the summer.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bobbemer.com/PRORES.HTM|title=The FORTRAN Builders|last=Bemer|first=Bob|website=www.bobbemer.com|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref>


Immediately after graduating from Vassar, Haibt began working at IBM.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n8jlOWI1ajwC&lpg=PA32&dq=lois%20haibt&pg=PA32#v=onepage&q=lois%20haibt|title=Go To: The Story of the Math Majors, Bridge Players, Engineers, Chess Wizards, Maverick Scientists and Iconoclasts - The Programmers Who Created the Software Revolution|last=Lohr|first=Steve|publisher=Basic Books|year=2002|isbn=978-0465042265|location=|pages=26–27|language=en|quote=|via=}}</ref> She started with an annual salary of $5,100, despite her lack of prior programming experience. This sum was almost double the amount that she would have made at Bell Laboratories. Haibt inferred that any job with such a high salary would be difficult, but fascinating.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fortran.bcs.org/2001/pioneers.html|title=Pioneers of the 'Fortran' Programming Language|last=Lohr|first=Steve|date=2001-06-13|website=www.fortran.bcs.org|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> She was part of an academically diverse team of ten young people with varying academic degrees and unrelated areas of expertise, such as crystallography and cryptography. Experience with mathematics was their one common connection.<ref name=":2" /> Haibt was the only woman on the team.<ref name=":2" />
Immediately after graduating from Vassar, Haibt began working at IBM.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n8jlOWI1ajwC&q=lois+haibt&pg=PA32|title=Go To: The Story of the Math Majors, Bridge Players, Engineers, Chess Wizards, Maverick Scientists and Iconoclasts - The Programmers Who Created the Software Revolution|last=Lohr|first=Steve|publisher=Basic Books|year=2002|isbn=978-0465042265|pages=26–27|language=en}}</ref> She started with an annual salary of $5,100, despite her lack of prior programming experience. This sum was almost double the amount that she would have made at Bell Laboratories. Haibt inferred that any job with such a high salary would be difficult, but fascinating.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fortran.bcs.org/2001/pioneers.html|title=Pioneers of the 'Fortran' Programming Language|last=Lohr|first=Steve|date=2001-06-13|website=www.fortran.bcs.org|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> She was part of an academically diverse team of ten young people with varying academic degrees and unrelated areas of expertise, such as crystallography and cryptography. Experience with mathematics was their one common connection.<ref name=":2" /> Haibt was the only woman on the team.<ref name=":2" />


According to Haibt, the team worked well together: "No one was worried about seeming stupid or possessive of his or her code. We were all just learning together."<ref name=":3" /> The FORTRAN team worked nontraditional hours so that they could have unlimited access to the [[IBM 704]] computer.<ref name=":3" /> They frequently rented rooms at the nearby Langdon Hotel in order to sleep during the day and work at night.<ref name=":3" />
According to Haibt, the team worked well together: "No one was worried about seeming stupid or possessive of his or her code. We were all just learning together."<ref name=":3" /> The FORTRAN team worked nontraditional hours so that they could have unlimited access to the [[IBM 704]] computer.<ref name=":3" /> They frequently rented rooms at the nearby Langdon Hotel in order to sleep during the day and work at night.<ref name=":3" />
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The IBM team spent almost three years creating the programming language [[Fortran|FORTRAN]], which reformed the way people communicate instructions to computers.<ref name=":2" />
The IBM team spent almost three years creating the programming language [[Fortran|FORTRAN]], which reformed the way people communicate instructions to computers.<ref name=":2" />


Haibt was in charge of section four of the FORTRAN project.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/FORTRAN/paper/p165-backus.pdf|title=The History of Fortran I, II, and III|last=Backus|first=John|date=|website=Software Preservation Group|publisher=Computer History Museum|access-date=November 22, 2016}}</ref> She analyzed the flow of programs produced by other sections of the [[compiler]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missiles to the Moon to Mars|last=Holt|first=Nathalia|publisher=Little, Brown|year=2016|isbn=9780316338912|location=|pages=|quote=|via=}}</ref> Her estimates of flow in high-traffic areas of the computer were obtained by calculating how often basic blocks of the program would execute. Haibt employed [[Monte Carlo method]]s (statistical analysis) for these calculations.<ref name=":3" /> Through this process, she also created the first [[Parsing|syntactic analyzer of arithmetic expressions]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lee|first=John A. N.|date=1996-06-01|title=History in the Computer Science Curriculum|journal=SIGCSE Bull.|volume=28|issue=2|pages=15–20|doi=10.1145/228296.228298|issn=0097-8418}}</ref> Haibt planned and programmed the entire section.<ref name=":4" />
Haibt was in charge of section four of the FORTRAN project.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/FORTRAN/paper/p165-backus.pdf|title=The History of Fortran I, II, and III|last=Backus|first=John|website=Software Preservation Group|publisher=Computer History Museum|access-date=November 22, 2016}}</ref> She analyzed the flow of programs produced by other sections of the [[compiler]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missiles to the Moon to Mars|last=Holt|first=Nathalia|publisher=Little, Brown|year=2016|isbn=9780316338912}}</ref> Her estimates of flow in high-traffic areas of the computer were obtained by calculating how often basic blocks of the program would execute. Haibt employed [[Monte Carlo method]]s (statistical analysis) for these calculations.<ref name=":3" /> Through this process, she also created the first [[Parsing|syntactic analyzer of arithmetic expressions]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lee|first=John A. N.|date=1996-06-01|title=History in the Computer Science Curriculum|journal=SIGCSE Bull.|volume=28|issue=2|pages=15–20|doi=10.1145/228296.228298|s2cid=7903964|issn=0097-8418|doi-access=free}}</ref> Haibt planned and programmed the entire section.<ref name=":4" />
Haibt was also part of an eleven-person team to develop and release the first reference manual for FORTRAN in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|title=This Day in History: October 15|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/October/15/|website=Computer History Museum|publisher=Computer History Museum|accessdate=14 September 2017|ref=8}}</ref>
Haibt was also part of an eleven-person team to develop and release the first reference manual for FORTRAN in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|title=This Day in History: October 15|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/October/15/|website=Computer History Museum|access-date=14 September 2017|ref=8}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Lois Haibt was married to Luther Haibt (May 4, 1929 – December 3, 2000), a systems analyst at IBM in [[Thornwood, NY]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/12/style/carolyn-haibt-to-wed-edward-norton-in-fall.html|title=Carolyn Haibt to Wed Edward Norton in Fall|date=1989-02-12|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-11-08}}</ref> The Haibts spent their adult lives in New York state. Haibt's daughter, Carolyn, attended [[Princeton University]] for her bachelor's degree and went on to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref name=":0" /> Haibt's hobbies include interior decorating and reading.<ref name=":1" />
Haibt was married to Luther Haibt (May 4, 1929 – December 3, 2000), a systems analyst at IBM in [[Thornwood, NY]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/12/style/carolyn-haibt-to-wed-edward-norton-in-fall.html|title=Carolyn Haibt to Wed Edward Norton in Fall|date=1989-02-12|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-11-08}}</ref> The Haibts spent their adult lives in New York state. Haibt's daughter, Carolyn, attended [[Princeton University]] for her bachelor's degree and went on to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref name=":0" /> Haibt's hobbies include interior decorating and reading.<ref name=":1" />


== Works ==
== Works ==
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==External links==
==External links==
*{{cite web
*{{cite web
| title = LOIS HAIBT: An Interview Conducted by Janet Abbate for the IEEE History Center, 2 August 2001
| title = Lois Haibt: An Interview
| author1=[[Janet Abbate]]
| author2=Lois Haibt
| publisher=IEEE History Center
| date= 2001-08-02
| work = GHN: IEEE Global History Network
| work = GHN: IEEE Global History Network
| accessdate = 2013-11-29
| access-date = 2013-11-29
| url = http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Oral-History:Lois_Haibt
| url = http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Oral-History:Lois_Haibt
}}
}}
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| title = Group Photo at 1982 Pioneer Day Banquet
| title = Group Photo at 1982 Pioneer Day Banquet
| work = Computer History Museum
| work = Computer History Museum
| date = 9 June 1982
| accessdate = 2013-11-29
| access-date = 2013-11-29
| url = http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102679273
| url = http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102679273
}}
}}
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[[Category:People from Katonah, New York]]
[[Category:People from Katonah, New York]]
[[Category:IBM employees]]
[[Category:IBM employees]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]

Revision as of 06:06, 20 August 2023

Lois Haibt
Born
Lois B. Mitchell

1934 (age 89–90)
Chicago, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Alma materVassar College
Known forDeveloper of FORTRAN
SpouseLuther Haibt
Children1
Scientific career
FieldsComputer science
InstitutionsIBM, Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Bell Laboratories

Lois B. Mitchell Haibt (born 1934) is an American computer scientist best known for being a member of the ten-person team at IBM that developed FORTRAN, the first successful high-level programming language. She is known as an early pioneer in computer science.

Education and career

Haibt studied mathematics at Vassar College with an academic scholarship. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1955. While at Vassar, Haibt worked at Bell Laboratories during the summer.[1]

Immediately after graduating from Vassar, Haibt began working at IBM.[2] She started with an annual salary of $5,100, despite her lack of prior programming experience. This sum was almost double the amount that she would have made at Bell Laboratories. Haibt inferred that any job with such a high salary would be difficult, but fascinating.[3] She was part of an academically diverse team of ten young people with varying academic degrees and unrelated areas of expertise, such as crystallography and cryptography. Experience with mathematics was their one common connection.[3] Haibt was the only woman on the team.[3]

According to Haibt, the team worked well together: "No one was worried about seeming stupid or possessive of his or her code. We were all just learning together."[2] The FORTRAN team worked nontraditional hours so that they could have unlimited access to the IBM 704 computer.[2] They frequently rented rooms at the nearby Langdon Hotel in order to sleep during the day and work at night.[2]

In 1957, Haibt attended Columbia University.[1]

Haibt is a member of the Mathematical Association of America.[1]

Research contributions

The IBM team spent almost three years creating the programming language FORTRAN, which reformed the way people communicate instructions to computers.[3]

Haibt was in charge of section four of the FORTRAN project.[4] She analyzed the flow of programs produced by other sections of the compiler.[5] Her estimates of flow in high-traffic areas of the computer were obtained by calculating how often basic blocks of the program would execute. Haibt employed Monte Carlo methods (statistical analysis) for these calculations.[2] Through this process, she also created the first syntactic analyzer of arithmetic expressions.[6] Haibt planned and programmed the entire section.[4] Haibt was also part of an eleven-person team to develop and release the first reference manual for FORTRAN in 1956.[7]

Personal life

Haibt was married to Luther Haibt (May 4, 1929 – December 3, 2000), a systems analyst at IBM in Thornwood, NY.[8] The Haibts spent their adult lives in New York state. Haibt's daughter, Carolyn, attended Princeton University for her bachelor's degree and went on to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[8] Haibt's hobbies include interior decorating and reading.[1]

Works

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bemer, Bob. "The FORTRAN Builders". www.bobbemer.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lohr, Steve (2002). Go To: The Story of the Math Majors, Bridge Players, Engineers, Chess Wizards, Maverick Scientists and Iconoclasts - The Programmers Who Created the Software Revolution. Basic Books. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-0465042265.
  3. ^ a b c d Lohr, Steve (2001-06-13). "Pioneers of the 'Fortran' Programming Language". www.fortran.bcs.org. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  4. ^ a b Backus, John. "The History of Fortran I, II, and III" (PDF). Software Preservation Group. Computer History Museum. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  5. ^ Holt, Nathalia (2016). Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missiles to the Moon to Mars. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316338912.
  6. ^ Lee, John A. N. (1996-06-01). "History in the Computer Science Curriculum". SIGCSE Bull. 28 (2): 15–20. doi:10.1145/228296.228298. ISSN 0097-8418. S2CID 7903964.
  7. ^ "This Day in History: October 15". Computer History Museum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Carolyn Haibt to Wed Edward Norton in Fall". The New York Times. 1989-02-12. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
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