[quote]
Yale University will change the name of Calhoun College, a residential college named for an ardent supporter of slavery, and replace that moniker with one honoring computer scientist Grace Murray Hopper.
Ms. Hopper worked on early computer software and helped develop COBOL, a computer language that became ubiquitous by the 1970s. Ms. Hopper retired as a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy at age 79 and was awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama.
If you are privy to the email sent to students please read it. You will then see how much thought, time and attention was paid to every aspect of this decision. Hopper is a fitting replacement.
Grace Hopper was a badass. I’m not qualified to debate the issues of rewriting history, applying current standards to historical figures, and so forth, but Grace Hopper is well worthy of the honor bestowed on her.
Wonderful to hear it. I’ve had a small article about her floating around my house for my kids to happen upon for about two years now. One of my girls let Hopper’s name pop out during an in-class Jeopardy game, winning that round for her team. She came home ecstatic that she’d remembered Hopper’s name.
