In 1983 Grace Hopper, then seventy-six years old, was made an admiral by special appointment of the President. In 1987, the U. S. Navy named its new computer center in San Diego for Hopper, and in 1996, four years after her death, it launched the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Hopper. The recipient of numerous medals, awards, and honorary degrees, Admiral Hopper was esteemed as a pioneer in computing. Although she never went to sea, her computer expertise and managerial skills made her a pivotal figure in the Navy path to the computer age. When she finally retired in 1986, Grace Hopper was the oldest serving officer in the Navy. She died in 1992, and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Kathleen B. Williams, Professor of History at The Graduate Center and Bronx Community College, received a contract from the Naval Institute Press to write a biography of Grace Hopper for publication in their naval biography series. While Hopper has been the subject of many articles and interviews, no scholarly biography of her existed. A PSC-CU NY grant enabled Dr. Williams address that deficiency.
* Adapted from 2002 Research Foundation Report