Evelyn Berezin facts for kids

Evelyn Berezin (born April 12, 1925 – died December 8, 2018) was a brilliant American computer scientist. She is famous for creating one of the very first word processors. She also helped design early computer systems for things like airline reservations. Evelyn Berezin was a true pioneer in the world of computers.

Early Life and Education

Evelyn Berezin was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1925. Her parents were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. She went to Christopher Columbus High School.

At just 16 years old, Evelyn started college at Hunter College in 1941. She wanted to study Physics, but at that time, Economics was seen as a more suitable subject for women.

When World War II began, new chances opened up. Evelyn received a scholarship to study physics at New York University. She also took free classes at Hunter and Brooklyn Polytech during the war. At the same time, she worked full-time. She was an assistant in the Rheology Department of the International Printing Company. Evelyn studied at night and earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in physics in 1946.

Amazing Computer Career

After college, Evelyn Berezin continued her studies at New York University. She received a special fellowship from the United States Atomic Energy Commission.

In 1951, she joined the Electronic Computer Corporation (ECC). She quickly became the head of the Logic Design Department. Evelyn was the only person designing the "logic" for the computers ECC was building. This means she planned how the computer's parts would work together.

In 1957, ECC was bought by Underwood Corporation. Here, Evelyn designed several different computers. These computers could be used for many tasks. One system helped the U.S. Army with calculations. Another controlled how magazines were sent out. She even designed what many consider the very first office computer!

Building Reservation Systems

After Underwood Corporation stopped developing computers, Evelyn moved to a company called Teleregister. This company had already built one of the first airline reservation systems using older technology.

Evelyn used new transistor technology to create a modern reservation system for United Airlines. This was one of the largest computer systems of its time. It managed flights for 60 cities and could respond to requests in just one second! While at Teleregister, Evelyn also developed the first computerized banking system.

Creating the Word Processor

In 1968, Evelyn had a brilliant idea. She thought about how to make secretaries' work easier. She imagined a machine that could help type and edit documents. This idea led her to create the word processor.

In 1969, she started her own company called Redactron Corporation. Her company became very successful. They sold thousands of word processing systems around the world. Their main product was called the "Data Secretary." It was about the size of a small refrigerator. It didn't have a screen, but it used an IBM Selectric typewriter for typing and printing.

Redactron was later sold to the Burroughs Corporation in 1976. Evelyn stayed with the company until 1979.

Later Contributions

After Redactron, Evelyn Berezin continued to be involved in technology. In the 1980s, she led a group that invested in new, high-tech companies.

Throughout her career, Evelyn received special honorary doctorates from Adelphi University and Eastern Michigan University. She also served on the boards of several important companies.

Evelyn was very generous. She helped set up special funds at Stony Brook University. One fund, the Berezin-Wilenitz Endowment, will support science research or teaching. Another, the Sam and Rose Berezin Endowed Scholarship, gives a full scholarship to a student studying science, engineering, or math. This scholarship honors her parents. She and her husband also created the Israel Wilenitz Endowment for the Linguistics Department at Stony Brook.

Personal Life

Evelyn Berezin was married for 51 years to Israel Wilenitz. He was a chemical engineer. Israel was born in London in 1922 and passed away in 2003. Evelyn Berezin died on December 8, 2018, at the age of 93. She was receiving treatment for cancer.

Awards and Recognition

Evelyn Berezin received many awards for her amazing work:

• 2006: Inducted into the Long Island Technology Hall of Fame.
• 2006: Honored by the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls.
• 2011: Inducted into the Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame.
• Named one of the Top 100 Business Women in the United States by BusinessWeek magazine.
• 2015: Made a Fellow of the Computer History Museum. This was for her early computer designs and her work as an entrepreneur.
• 2020: Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Patents

Evelyn Berezin held several patents for her inventions, including:

• Information Transfer Apparatus
• Electronic Data File Processor
• Information Transfer System
• On-Line Data Transfer Apparatus
• Electrical Assemblage
• Data Processing System
• Arithmetic Device
• Electronic Calculator with Dynamic Recirculating Storage Register
• Control means with Record Sensing for an Electronic Calculator

See also

In Spanish: Evelyn Berezin para niños