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Howard Hathaway Aiken ( March 9 , 1900 , Hoboken, New Jersey – March 14 1973 , St. Louis, Missouri ) was a pioneer in Computing , being the primary engineer behind IBM 's Harvard Mark I computer. He studied at the University Of Wisconsin-Madison , and later obtained his Ph.D. in physics at Harvard University in 1939 . During this time, he encountered differential equations that he could only solve numerically. He envisioned an electro-mechanical computing device that could do much of the tedious work for him. This computer was originally called the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC) and later renamed Harvard Mark I . With help from Grace Hopper and funding from IBM , the machine was completed in 1944 . In 1947 , Aiken completed his work on the Harvard Mark II computer. He continued his work on the Mark III and the Harvard Mark IV . The Mark III used some electronic components and the Mark IV was all-electronic. The Mark III and Mark IV used Magnetic Drum memory and the Mark IV also had Magnetic Core Memory . Aiken was inspired by , but was probably Said By Neither . Grace Hopper popularized the story that the word "bug" (in the sense of a technical problem) was inspired by a moth crushed in a relay of the Mark I, but this is Not True . In 1970, Aiken received IEEE 's Edison Medal 'For a meritorious career of pioneering contributions to the development and application of large-scale digital computers and important contributions to education in the digital computer field.' Howard Aiken was also an Officer in the United States Naval Reserve. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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