Today's Read Contributor In Proving Ground, released in July 2022, Kathy Kleiman shines a much-needed light on the forgotten women who played pivotal roles in the creation and programming of the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), the world’s first general-purpose electronic computer. The book chronicles the stories of six remarkable women—Jean Jennings, Betty Snyder, Kathleen Antonelli, Frances Spence, Ruth Teitelbaum, and Marlyn Wescoff—whose contributions have long been overshadowed by the male-dominated narrative of computer history.
Before the arrival of ENIAC, the field of computing was mostly confined to women, many of whom worked as human “computers” performing complex calculations by hand. However, as technology progressed, their skills and talents were recognized and sought after for the next big leap in computing history. In the early 1940s, ENIAC was designed to perform artillery trajectory calculations for the U.S. Army during World War II. It was a monumental endeavor that would require innovative programming—a task that, at the time, had not yet been formalized as a distinct profession. The six women highlighted in Proving Ground were recruited to program ENIAC, laying the groundwork for modern computing.
While the men behind ENIAC’s design—John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly—are widely celebrated, the women who programmed the machine are often overlooked. The book explores not only their technical brilliance but also the gender biases and obstacles they faced. In an era when women were expected to occupy subservient roles in both the workforce and society, these women were tasked with mastering a highly complex machine and ensuring it operated correctly. Their work was groundbreaking, yet much of it remained unrecognized for decades. Kleiman’s narrative serves as both a historical record and an act of reclamation, reminding readers of the critical role these women played in the birth of computing.
Kleiman dives deep into the personalities and experiences of the women, revealing how they collaborated to tackle enormous technical challenges. Their work, often done under intense pressure and with limited resources, was instrumental in the success of ENIAC. What’s more, their efforts went far beyond merely programming a machine; they were also pioneers of the algorithms and principles that would later become foundational to computer science.
The book is a testament to their resilience, intelligence, and perseverance. The stories of these women challenge the conventional narratives of technological innovation and gender roles, offering a more inclusive history of computing that acknowledges the contributions of all those involved. Proving Ground not only celebrates these women’s achievements but also highlights the broader implications of their work, which helped lay the foundations for the digital age we live in today.
