Computer scientist Frances Allen, known for her work on compiling, dies at 88

Frances Allen, whose work on computer compiling helped establish a foundation for much of modern computer programming, died on August 4th, her 88th birthday. She was the first woman to win the Turing Award, and the first female IBM fellow. Allen was determined to make the tedious compiling process — converting software programs into ones and zeroes— more efficient. The work became a hallmark of her career.

After receiving a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan, Allen took a job with IBM Research in Poughkeepsie, NY, in 1957, intending only to stay until she had her student loan debt paid off. She taught IBM employees the basics of its new Fortran language, later becoming one of three designers for the company’s...

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