Adele Goldstine left a lasting legacy in the world of computing by writing one of the first computer manuals, a gargantuan task for the equally gargantuan ENIAC, the world's first electronic digital computer, completed in 1946. She was also instrumental in revamping the ENIAC, developing a stored program that obviated the necessity of reconfiguring the entire system for each new task.

Born on December 21, 1920, Goldstine was one of two daughters born to William Katz, a successful retail businessman. Growing up in New York City, Goldstine attended Hunter College High School and received her B.A. from Hunter College. From there she went on to the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a master's degree in mathematics. It was also at the University of Michigan that she met her future husband, Herman Goldstine. The couple was married in 1941.

Trains Human Computers

Goldstine's husband also worked in mathematics and in...