Hilary Kahn facts for kids

Hilary J. Kahn (1943–2007) was a brilliant computer scientist from South Africa and Britain. She spent most of her working life as a professor at the University of Manchester in England. Hilary Kahn was a pioneer in developing computer systems that help design things, known as computer-aided design. She also worked on how computers store and use information.

Hilary Kahn helped create the Manchester MU5 computer, which was a very advanced machine for its time. Later, she played a big role in setting up rules for how computers share design information. She was a leader in developing the EDIF standard, which is like a common language for electronic designs. Kahn retired from her work in 2006 and passed away in 2007.

Hilary Kahn's Early Life and Education

Hilary Kahn was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1943. In 1960, she moved to England. She later explained that she moved to get a better education and to avoid the difficult political situation in her home country at the time.

She first went to the University of London to study classics, which is about ancient Greek and Roman history and languages. After that, she took a special course in computing at Newcastle University. This is where she first learned to work with computers, using the English Electric KDF9 and programming in ALGOL. She then worked as a computer programmer for a company called English Electric.

Career and Computer Research

In 1967, Hilary Kahn joined the Computer Science Department at the University of Manchester. She was hired as an assistant lecturer because she was very good at teaching COBOL, an important computer language. She is a great example of how women with different backgrounds could become early computer science teachers by having special skills.

Even though Hilary Kahn did not get a PhD herself, she was a respected professor. She guided many students who were working on their PhDs. During her time at Manchester, she started a special group focused on computer-aided design (CAD). This group worked on creating computer tools to help engineers and designers.

She also worked on the Manchester MU5 computer project, which was a major step forward in computer technology. A big part of her career was spent helping to create common rules and standards for computer systems. She was especially important in the EDIF project, which made it easier for different computer programs to share electronic design information. Hilary Kahn also worked with and wrote about Tom Kilburn, another famous computer pioneer.

Hilary Kahn was very interested in keeping the history of early computing alive at Manchester. In 1998, she helped organize a big event called Computer 50. This celebration marked 50 years since the Manchester Baby was finished in 1948. The Manchester Baby was the very first computer that could store programs, a huge invention!

Hilary Kahn retired from her teaching job in 2006.

Hilary Kahn's Family Life

Hilary Kahn's husband, Brian Napper, was also a professor at the University of Manchester. They had one daughter, who was born in 1977. Hilary Kahn passed away in November 2007.