Adele Goldberg (computer scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dr. Adele Goldberg
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Dr. Adele Goldberg at Python Conference (PyCon) 2007
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| Born | July 22, 1945 |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan University of Chicago |
| Known for | Smalltalk System |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | Xerox PARC, Association for Computing Machinery, Stanford University |
| Thesis | Computer-Assisted Instruction: The Application of Theorem-proving to Adaptive Response Analysis (1973) |
Adele Goldberg (born July 22, 1945) is an American computer scientist. She helped create Smalltalk-80. This is a special computer language that made programming easier. It also laid the groundwork for many other languages, like Python, C, and Java.
While working at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the 1970s, she also developed important ideas for object-oriented programming. This way of programming helps organize computer code into reusable parts.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Adele Goldberg was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 22, 1945. When she was 11, her family moved to Chicago, Illinois. She grew up there.
From a young age, Adele loved solving problems and enjoyed mathematics. Her teachers encouraged her to study math. In 1967, she earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan.
During college, Adele worked as an intern at IBM. There, she learned how to program early computer machines. After graduating, she went to the University of Chicago. She earned her master's degree in 1969 and her PhD in 1973 in information science.
For her PhD, she wrote about using computers to help with teaching. She did this while working at Stanford University. At Stanford, she met John Stoch from Xerox. They talked about a computer for kids' education, called the Dynabook.
Career in Computer Science
Developing Smalltalk (1973)
In 1973, Adele Goldberg started working at PARC. She became the manager of the System Concepts Laboratory. There, she, Alan Kay, and other researchers created the programming language Smalltalk-80.
Smalltalk was special because it used an "object-oriented" approach. It also showed a new way of using computers with overlapping windows on graphic screens. This was a big step towards modern "personal computers." Smalltalk aimed to make computers portable and easy to use for sharing information.
Smalltalk was simple and easy to change. You could move things between different programs easily. Adele and her team also worked on "design templates." These were early versions of what we now call design patterns in software. Smalltalk 72, an early version, even had simple animations and music.
Adele and her team worked with Douglas Engelbart, who invented the computer mouse. They wanted to use the mouse with Smalltalk. This made it easier to use computers without typing many commands.
The Dynabook Vision (1976)
With Alan Kay, Adele wrote an important article called "Personal Dynamic Media." This paper imagined a future where everyone would use small, notebook-like computers. These devices would help people share and change their own media.
This article described the idea of the Dynabook. It was a vision for a small device you could carry anywhere. It would give you lots of information, even more than newspapers.
Promoting Smalltalk (1981)
Adele was very passionate about Smalltalk. She spent a lot of time telling people about it. In 1981, BYTE magazine wrote about Smalltalk. Adele helped write and edit the article. Her goal was to show that object-oriented programming was important for the future of technology.
Influence on Apple (1984)
Many ideas from Adele Goldberg and her team at PARC became the basis for today's graphical user interfaces (GUIs). A GUI lets you use a computer by clicking on pictures and icons, instead of typing commands.
Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple, wanted to see the Smalltalk System. Adele first said no, but her bosses told her to show him. Apple then used many ideas from the Xerox Alto computer and Smalltalk. These ideas helped create the Apple Macintosh desktop environment.
After seeing Smalltalk, Steve Jobs quickly used its ideas for Apple's new computer, the Macintosh. A famous commercial for the Macintosh aired in 1984 during the Super Bowl. It showed how important the GUI was for making computers simple to use.
Leadership and New Ventures (1986-Present)
From 1984 to 1986, Adele Goldberg was the President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). This is a major organization for computer professionals. In 1987, she, Alan Kay, and Dan Ingalls received the ACM Software Systems Award for their work on Smalltalk.
In 1988, Adele left PARC to start her own company, ParcPlace Systems. This company created tools for building applications using Smalltalk. Her work at PARC helped create the graphical user interfaces we use today. She was the CEO of ParcPlace Systems until 1995.
She also co-founded another company, Neometron, Inc., in 1999. Adele continues to be interested in education. She helps create computer science courses for colleges. She is also an adviser at Cognito Learning Media, which makes software for science education.
Achievements and Accolades
Adele Goldberg has received many awards for her contributions to computer systems.
- She was President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from 1984 to 1986.
- In 1987, she, Alan Kay, and Dan Ingalls received the ACM Software Systems Award.
- Forbes magazine included her in their "Twenty Who Matter" list.
- In 1994, she became a Fellow of the ACM.
- She received PC Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
- In 2002, she received the Dr. Dobb's Excellence in Programming Award with Dan Ingalls.
- In 2010, she was added to the Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame.
- She has also received honorary doctorates from the Open University and the University of Michigan.
- In 2021, she received the University of Chicago Alumni Professional Achievement Award.
The Computer History Museum (CHM) has many of Adele Goldberg's documents and videos about her work on Smalltalk. In 2022, she and Dan Ingalls became Fellows of the CHM. This was for their work on Smalltalk and for helping use computers in education.
See also
In Spanish: Adele Goldberg para niños
