When Computers Were Human by David Alan Grier Page B

staff of computers to do survey and longitude calculations
    C OLUMBIA A STRONOMICAL C OMPUTING B UREAU ; see T HOMAS J. W ATSON A STRONOMICAL C OMPUTING B UREAU
    C OMRIE , L ESLIE J OHN (1893–1950)
    Director of British Nautical Almanac and founder of Scientific Computing Service, key expert on methods of scientific computation
    C OWLES , A LFRED H. (1891–1984)
    Industrialist and financier, founded Cowles Commission for Economic Research
    C OWLES C OMMISSION FOR E CONOMIC R ESEARCH
    Organization founded in Colorado Springs (now at Yale) that maintained a computing staff to compile and analyze economic data
    C ROMMELIN , A NDREW C LAUDE DE LA C HEROIS (1865–1939)
    English astronomer, computed perihelion of 1910 return of Halley’s comet, developed general means of solving differential equations
    C ROWELL , P HILLIP (1879–1949)
    Astronomer who worked with Crommelin ( see above )
    D AVIS , C HARLES H ENRY (1807–1877)
    Officer, U.S. Navy, founder and first director of American Nautical Almanac
    D AVIS , H AROLD T HAYER (1892–1974)
    American mathematician and creator of encyclopedia of mathematical functions, worked with Cowles Commission and Subcommittee on the Bibliography of Mathematical Tables and Other Aids to Computation; no known relation to Charles Henry Davis
    DE C OLMAR , C HARLES X AVIER T HOMAS (1785–1870)
    Inventor of first commercially successful adding machine
    DE P RONY , G ASPARD C LAIR F RANÇOIS M ARIE R ICHE (1755–1839)
    Leader of Bureau du Cadastre computing effort, created decimal trigonometry tables for French Metric Commission
    D IFFERENCE E NGINE
    Mechanical calculator that could interpolate functions, invented as special device by Charles Babbage but later adapted from commercial machines
    D IFFERENTIAL A NALYZER
    Electromechanical machine that could solve differential equations ( see below ), found at MIT and Aberdeen Proving Ground
    D IFFERENTIAL E QUATIONS
    Equations that describe physical motion; they generally express relationships among the position of an object, the direction of its motion, and its speed; can be solved by a Differential Analyzer ( see above )
    D OOLITTLE , M YRRICK (1830–1913)
    Computer for Coast Survey, developed method for solving least squares and simultaneous equation problems
    E CKERT , J. P RESPER (1919–1995)
    Designer of ENIAC at University of Pennsylvania; no known relation to W. J. Eckert, below.
    E CKERT , W ALLACE J. (1902–1971)
    Leader of punched card computing group at Columbia University and director of U.S. Nautical Almanac.
    ENIAC
    Electronic computing machine developed at University of Pennsylvania, often identified as precursor of modern computer
    F ROELICH , C LARA ( B . 1892)
    Computer at Bell Telephone Laboratories
    F RY , T HORNTON (1892–1991)
    Mathematician at Bell Telephone Laboratories
    G ALTON L ABORATORY
    Statistical laboratory of Karl Pearson at University College London, employed substantial computing staff
    G LOVER , J AMES W. (1868–1941)
    Actuary, mathematician, and educator of female computers at University of Michigan
    G OLDSTINE , A DELE (1920–1964)
    Senior Computer, University of Pennsylvania
    G REENWICH O BSERVATORY
    Royal Observatory of England, maintained a staff of human computers for almost 200 years
    H ALLEY , E DMUND (1656–1742)
    English astronomer, friend of Isaac Newton, identified Halley’s comet as a returning comet, recognized that comet orbit calculations were difficult
    H ALLEY ’ S C OMET (1758, 1835, 1910, 1986)
    First major project for human computers because of the difficulties of tracking three or more bodies in space
    I OWA S TATE S TATISTICAL L AB
    Statistical laboratory run by George Snedecor that employed large computing staff, associated with Henry Wallace
    L ALANDE , J OSEPH -J ÉRÔME L E F RAN Ç AIS DE (1732–1807)
    French Astronomer Royal who worked on first calculation of Halley’s comet
    L ANCZOS , C ORNELIUS