Jean E. Sammet

Jean E. Sammet, born on March 23, 1928, was a pioneering American computer scientist and mathematician whose contributions significantly shaped the field of programming languages. She is best known for developing the FORMAC programming language in 1962, which became the first widely used language for symbolic manipulation of mathematical formulas. Additionally, she played a crucial role in the development of COBOL, one of the most influential programming languages in history.

Sammet's academic journey began with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Mount Holyoke College in 1948, followed by a Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1949. Her achievements were recognized with an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1978, underscoring her impact on the field.

Her professional career commenced at Sperry Gyroscope, where she supervised the first scientific programming group from nineteen fifty-five to nineteen fifty-eight. She then joined Sylvania, contributing as a staff consultant for programming research and as a member of the original COBOL group from nineteen fifty-eight to nineteen sixty-one. In nineteen sixty-one, she joined IBM, where she not only developed FORMAC but also researched the use of restricted English and natural language in programming.

Throughout her career, Sammet was a leader in the computing community, founding the ACM Special Interest Committee on Symbolic and Algebraic Manipulation (SICSAM) in nineteen sixty-five and chairing the Special Interest Group on Programming Languages (SIGPLAN). She made history as the first female president of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from nineteen seventy-four to nineteen seventy-six, paving the way for future generations of women in technology.