Marjorie Devaney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marjorie Devaney
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| Born |
Marjorie Ann Jones
March 3, 1931 Bell, California, USA
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| Died | September 20, 2007 (aged 76) |
| Resting place | Guaje Pines Cemetery, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA |
| Alma mater | University of New Mexico–Los Alamos |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Devaney |
Marjorie Ann "Marge" Jones Devaney (March 3, 1931 – September 20, 2007) was a brilliant American scientist. She was a mathematician, electrical engineer, and computer scientist. Marge helped create one of the world's first computers, called MANIAC I. This happened in 1951 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. She was one of the very first computer programmers!
Early Life and Education
Marjorie Devaney was born in Bell, California in March 1931. She was the youngest of three children. Her parents were farmers from Wisconsin. They faced tough times during the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
After the crash, her family moved to California. Her father found a job making gravestones there. When Marge was four, her family moved to Pomona, California. She grew up there and finished high school.
Marge started college in September 1948 at the University of Denver. She studied mathematics and earned her bachelor's degree in August 1951. Later, in the early 1970s, she continued her studies. She went to the University of New Mexico–Los Alamos (UNMLA). Marge earned a master's degree in computer science and electrical engineering.
Marjorie married Joseph James Devaney. They had one daughter together. Marge passed away in Los Alamos, New Mexico on September 20, 2007. Her husband died just three days later.
Her Work in Computing
Marjorie Devaney began her career on October 8, 1951. She started working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She joined the team working on the MANIAC I computer. This team was part of the Theoretical Division.
Her division later became the Computing Division. Marge worked there for forty years. She retired in 1991. During her time, she made many important contributions. She worked on both the MANIAC I and MANIAC II computer programs.
One of her most important projects was helping create a central file system (CFS). This system was used at the Los Alamos laboratory. This huge task took more than ten years to finish. Marge also wrote and co-wrote several papers. These papers were mostly about mathematics and computer programming. Her work is still mentioned in many other scientific publications.
