[SIGCIS-Members] Jean Sammett passes away

[Ceruzzi, Paul]

We could easily fill up this Listserv with memories of Jean, but I want to add just one: the time she came to a SIGCIS meeting in Charlottesville, and she was treated like a rock star—deservedly so. At least that is how I remember it.

Paul

From: Members [mailto:members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Chuck House
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2017 1:44 PM
To: James Cortada <jcortada at umn.edu>; Dag Spicer <dspicer at computerhistory.org>
Cc: SIGCIS Listserver <members at sigcis.org>
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Jean Sammett passes away

As ACM president, I met this ‘force of nature’ and certainly will aver that she was not the easiest person to work with, but you were always impressed by her integrity, grit, and passion.  And yes, she knew LOTS MORE than just COBOL and its history.  She did much, very much, for the entire computing community

Chuck

From: Members <members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org<mailto:members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org>> on behalf of James Cortada <jcortada at umn.edu<mailto:jcortada at umn.edu>>
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 10:21 AM
To: Dag Spicer <dspicer at computerhistory.org<mailto:dspicer at computerhistory.org>>
Cc: SIGCIS Listserver <members at sigcis.org<mailto:members at sigcis.org>>
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Jean Sammett passes away

Oh my.  Anyone who knew her personally will stop what they are doing for a moment to contemplate this force of nature.  Not the easiest person to work with, but she know how to get things done and was confident.  I first met her a few years after she published her book on software languages and was very encouraging in picking up the history of IT.  She kept an eye on history, saving many of her files--yes she was a wonderful pack rat--records that I hope will become available to historians and about a lot more than COBOL and her role in its emergence.  Her death is a sad event indeed.  Jim Cortada

On Tue, May 23, 2017 at 11:35 AM, Dag Spicer <dspicer at computerhistory.org<mailto:dspicer at computerhistory.org>> wrote:
A true legend… who just recently made it into “Glamor” magazine, of all things!

Jean Sammet passed away on May 21, 2017 at the age of 88.

http://www.glamour.com/story/when-jean-e-sammet-learned-to-code-steve-jobs-was-still-in-diapers

Dag
—
Dag Spicer
Senior Curator
Computer History Museum
1401 N Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, CA  94043

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--
James W. Cortada
Senior Research Fellow
Charles Babbage Institute
University of Minnesota
jcortada at umn.edu<mailto:jcortada at umn.edu>
608-274-6382
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