In honor and celebration of Black History Month, here are five notable people in Computer Science:
1. Roy L. Clay Sr. (The Godfather of Silicon Valley)
Roy Lee Clay Sr. (August 22, 1929 – September 22, 2024) was an American computer scientist and inventor, often referred to as the "Godfather of Silicon Valley." Born in Kinloch, Missouri, he overcame significant racial barriers to become one of the first African Americans to graduate from Saint Louis University in 1951 with a degree in mathematics. After teaching himself to code, Clay joined the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1958, where he developed software to model radiation dispersion following nuclear explosions. In 1965, he was recruited by Hewlett-Packard to lead their computer division, directing the development of the HP 2116A, one of the company's first minicomputers. Beyond his technical contributions, Clay was a trailblazer for African Americans in technology, establishing initiatives to increase their representation in Silicon Valley. He also founded ROD-L Electronics in 1977, a company specializing in electrical safety test equipment. Clay's legacy is marked by his pioneering work in computing and his dedication to diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
2. Dorothy Vaughan (NASA Mathematician & Computer Programmer)
Dorothy Vaughan (1910–2008) was an African American mathematician and human computer who worked at NASA (previously NACA) during the mid-20th century. She was a pioneer in computational research and became the first Black supervisor at NACA in 1949, leading the West Area Computing unit, an all-Black group of female mathematicians. Recognizing the rise of electronic computing, she became proficient in FORTRAN and contributed to NASA’s early space programs. Vaughan played a crucial role in transitioning from human computers to machine computing, ensuring her team's relevance in the evolving aerospace industry. Her work significantly influenced the success of America’s space missions and was highlighted in the book Hidden Figures and its film adaptation.
3. Mark Dean (Co-Inventor of the IBM Personal Computer)
Mark Dean is one of the most influential figures in computer hardware. He co-invented the IBM personal computer and played a critical role in developing the ISA bus, which allowed peripheral devices like printers and disk drives to connect to computers. Mr. Dean holds three of nine PC patents for being the co-creator of the IBM personal computer released in 1981. He helped shape modern computing as we know it. In 1995, Dean was named the first ever African-American IBM Fellow.
4. Katherine Johnson (NASA Mathematician & Early Computer Scientist)
Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) was a brilliant mathematician whose calculations were essential to NASA’s early space missions, including the Apollo 11 moon landing. She was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in 1918, she Graduated from West Virginia State College with a degree in mathematics and French. She was one of the human “computers” who pioneered complex orbital mechanics and later transitioned into working with digital computers at NASA. Katherine Johnson was a
5. Kimberly Bryant (Founder of Black Girls Code)
Kimberly Bryant, born on January 14, 1967, in Memphis, Tennessee, is an American electrical engineer and entrepreneur. She earned her degree in Electrical Engineering, with minors in Computer Science and Mathematics, from Vanderbilt University in 1989. Throughout her career, Bryant held technical leadership roles at companies such as Westinghouse Electric, DuPont, Pfizer, Merck, Genentech, and Novartis. In 2011, she founded Black Girls Code, a nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing girls of color to technology and computer programming, aiming to address the underrepresentation of African-American women in the tech industry. Under her leadership, the organization expanded to 15 chapters across the United States and abroad, including a chapter in Johannesburg, South Africa. She later founded the Black Innovation Lab, focusing on supporting socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and innovators.
These five pioneers have shaped computer science in incredible ways, from early NASA calculations to foundational hardware and programming advancements.
