Erna Schneider Hoover facts for kids

Erna Schneider Hoover (born June 19, 1926) was an amazing American mathematician. She invented a special computer system for phone calls. This invention changed how we communicate today! Her system stopped phone networks from getting overloaded. It watched how many calls were happening and made sure important tasks got done first. This meant phones worked better, even when lots of people were calling at the same time. Erna worked at Bell Laboratories for over 32 years. She was seen as a very important person for women in computer science.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in New Jersey

Erna Schneider was born on June 19, 1926. Her family lived in South Orange, New Jersey. Her father was a dentist, and her mother was a teacher. Erna loved swimming, sailing, and canoeing. She was interested in science from a young age. Reading about Marie Curie inspired her. It showed her that women could succeed in science. She graduated from Columbia High School in 1944. The school later honored her in its hall of fame.

College and Advanced Studies

Erna went to Wellesley College. There, she studied old philosophy and history. She graduated with honors in 1948. She earned a bachelor's degree. Erna then went to Yale University. She earned her PhD in philosophy and math in 1951. At that time, very few women earned PhDs in philosophy.

Personal Life

While at Yale, Erna met Charles Wilson Hoover, Jr. They got married in 1953. At that time, she was teaching at Swarthmore College. Erna and Charles had three daughters.

Career at Bell Labs

From Teaching to Technology

Erna Hoover taught philosophy and logic at Swarthmore College from 1951 to 1954. She wanted a permanent teaching job. However, she couldn't get one. Some people think this was because she was a woman and married. Her husband, Charles, always supported her career.

In 1954, they moved to Summit, New Jersey. Charles got a new job at Bell Laboratories. Erna found it hard to find a teaching job there. So, she joined Bell Labs too. She started as a senior technical associate. She was promoted in 1956. Bell Labs had a great training program. It was like getting a master's degree in computer science.

Inventing the Phone System Solution

Phone systems were changing. They were moving from old electronic parts to computers. A big problem happened when too many calls came in at once. The old systems would get overwhelmed. They would often "freeze up."

Erna used her knowledge of logic and how systems work. She created a computer program. This program helped phone centers handle many calls. It watched how often calls came in. Her method gave priority to important tasks. These were tasks like connecting calls. Less important tasks, like billing, waited. This made the computer adjust how many calls it accepted. It greatly reduced the problem of systems freezing. This smart system became known as stored program control.

A Groundbreaking Patent

Erna had the idea for her invention while in the hospital. She was recovering after having her second daughter. Lawyers from Bell Labs even visited her at home. She was on maternity leave and needed to sign the patent papers. Her invention made phone service much better. It helped callers during busy times.

She explained her idea:

To my mind it was kind of common sense ... I designed the executive program for handling situations when there are too many calls, to keep it operating efficiently without hanging up on itself. Basically it was designed to keep the machine from throwing up its hands and going berserk.

Erna Hoover received patent #3,623,007 in November 1971. This was for her invention, called Feedback Control Monitor for Stored Program Data Processing System. It was one of the first software patents ever given. Because of her invention, she became the first woman supervisor of a technical department at Bell Labs. She led the operations support department in 1987. The ideas from her invention are still used today in phone equipment.

Later Career and Impact

Hoover worked on many important projects. This included radar control programs for missile defense systems. Her department also worked on artificial intelligence. They developed large databases and software for big phone networks. She worked at Bell Labs for 32 years. She retired in 1987.

Erna also served on boards for colleges in New Jersey. She was a trustee at The College of New Jersey. She was a visionary leader there. She helped increase the number of women teachers. She also helped attract top high school students. She worked hard to get state funding. This helped the college become a respected school.

Awards and Legacy

Erna Hoover received one of the first patents for computer software. She was chosen as a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2008. She also received an alumni achievement award from Wellesley College. In 2020, The College of New Jersey gave her an honorary degree. This was for her work in higher education. In 2023, she received the Pioneer Award from the National Center for Women & Information Technology.

Her invention created the foundation for the connected communication systems we use every day. Even though her first system has changed, its basic ideas are still used. Erna Schneider Hoover's work continues to make communication smooth and efficient. It also helped open doors for future generations of women in science and technology.

See also

In Spanish: Erna Schneider para niños