Mary Allen Wilkes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Allen Wilkes
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| Born | September 25, 1937 (age 87) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Wellesley College, Harvard Law School |
| Known for | Work with LINC computer |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer programming, logic design, law |
| Institutions | MIT, Washington University in St. Louis |
Mary Allen Wilkes, born on September 25, 1937, is a famous American computer scientist and lawyer. She is best known for her important work with the LINC computer. Many people consider the LINC to be the world's first "personal computer."
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Early Life and Career Path
Mary Allen Wilkes was born in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1959. There, she studied philosophy and theology.
Wilkes first wanted to become a lawyer. However, friends and teachers told her it would be hard for women in that field. An eighth-grade teacher had once told her, "Mary Allen, when you grow up, you ought to be a computer programmer." She worked as one of the first computer programmers for many years. Later, in 1975, she did become an attorney.
Working at MIT
Wilkes started working at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in 1959. She programmed early computers like the IBM 704 and the IBM 709.
Designing the LINC Computer
In 1961, Wilkes joined the team designing the LINC computer. This project was led by Wesley A. Clark. Wilkes helped by simulating how the LINC would work using another computer, the TX-2. She also designed the control panel for the first LINC computer. She even wrote the instruction manual for it.
In 1963, the LINC team moved to MIT's Cambridge campus. They started a program to train people to use the LINC. Wilkes taught in this program. She also wrote the first Assembly Programs (LAP) for the LINC. These programs helped people tell the computer what to do. She also co-wrote the LINC's programming manual, Programming the LINC.
Working at Washington University
In 1964, some of the LINC team moved to Washington University in St. Louis. Wilkes joined them later that year. She worked from her parents' home in Baltimore. A LINC computer was set up there for her to use. This makes her one of the first people to use a personal computer at home.
Developing LAP6 Operating System
By 1965, the LINC computer's memory was made bigger. This allowed Wilkes to create a more advanced operating system called LAP6. LAP6 was very user-friendly. It allowed people to create, edit, and manage documents on the computer in real time. This was similar to how modern personal computers work.
LAP6 used the LINC's keyboard and display. It also used the LINC tapes to store and organize files. Users could even share their programs with others using these tapes. This was an early form of "open source" sharing.
Designing Computer Building Blocks
After the LINC, Wilkes also helped design "Macromodules." These were like building blocks for computers. She designed the "multiply macromodule," which was the most complex one.
Law Career
Mary Allen Wilkes left the computer field in 1972. She went to Harvard Law School to become a lawyer. For many years, she worked as a trial lawyer. She also led the Economic Crime and Consumer Protection Division in Massachusetts.
From 1983 to 2011, she taught law at Harvard Law School. She also judged law competitions for 18 years. In 2001, she became an arbitrator. This meant she helped settle disagreements, often about computer science. She also judged an international law competition in Vienna, Austria, from 2005 to 2012.
Why She Is Famous
Mary Allen Wilkes is well-known in computer science for a few key reasons:
- She designed the LAP6 operating system for the LINC. This was one of the first interactive systems for a personal computer.
- She was one of the first people to use a personal computer in her own home.
Her work has been shown in special exhibitions. These include "Heroines of Computing" at Great Britain's National Museum of Computing in 2013. Her work was also featured in a German exhibition called "In the beginning was Ada: Women in Computer History" in 2015-16.
Famous Quotes
- "I'll bet you don't have a computer in your living room."
- "We had the quaint notion at the time that software should be completely, absolutely free of bugs. Unfortunately it's a notion that never really quite caught on."
Images for kids
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Mary Allen Wilkes
See also
In Spanish: Mary Allen Wilkes para niños
