Did you know that during World War II Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr (pictured) developed a radio guidance system; the principles of which are the basis of modern Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology? Or that the daughter of the poet Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace, wrote the first computer program?
At IT Services we think it’s important that these contributions to computing history are recognised and celebrated. That’s why we have installed portraits in all of our meeting rooms that are named after these computing pioneers. Each portrait is accompanied by explanatory text outlining their accomplishments in the field of computer science to enable staff and visitors to get an insight into the names behind the meeting rooms.
The exceptional people we tip our hats to include:
- Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer.
- Ada Lovelace, who worked alongside Babbage and wrote the first computer program.
- Grace Hopper, who believed computer code could be written in English by using a programming language based on English words.
- Nikola Tesla, for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply.
- Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood star who was also a skilled inventor.
- Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, an English engineer and computer scientist, who invented the World Wide Web.
- Alan Turing, whose pivotal role in Britain's codebreaking helped shorten the Second World War by more than two years, saving over fourteen million lives.
