Gwen Bell facts for kids

Gwen Bell, born on July 20, 1934, is a very important person in the world of computers and museums. She was the first president of The Computer Museum in Boston. She also helped start this museum with her husband at the time, Gordon Bell.

Gwen Bell's Early Life and Studies

Gwen Bell was a brilliant student who loved to learn. She went to several universities to study different subjects.

Her University Degrees

• In 1957, she earned her first degree, a Bachelor's degree, from the University of Wisconsin.
• Then, in 1959, she got a Master's degree from Harvard University. This degree was in City and Regional Planning, which is about designing and organizing cities.
• Later, in 1967, she earned her highest degree, a PhD, in geography from Clark University. A PhD means she became an expert in her field.

Working as a Professor and Consultant

Gwen Bell used her knowledge to teach others and help solve big problems around the world.

Teaching at Universities

From 1966 to 1972, Gwen Bell was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She taught about urban affairs, which means she studied how cities work and how people live in them. In 1972, she also taught for a short time at Harvard University.

Helping Countries Around the World

During these years, Gwen Bell was also the editor of a magazine called Ekistics. This magazine focused on problems and solutions for human settlements, like towns and cities. She also worked as a consultant for the United Nations. This meant she gave advice to countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil from 1970 to 1977. She helped them plan their cities and communities better.

Founding The Computer Museum

One of Gwen Bell's biggest achievements was helping to create The Computer Museum in Boston.

Leading the Museum

After working for a publishing company for a short time in 1978, Gwen Bell co-founded The Computer Museum in 1979. She became its very first president. She led the museum for many years, until 1997. The museum was a place where people could learn about the history of computers and how they work.

President of ACM

Gwen Bell also served as the president of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from 1992 to 1994. The ACM is a large group for people who work with computers. Being its president showed how respected she was in the computer world.