Friday 18 March 2022

Tributes to Mary Coombs, the world's first business programmer

Mary Coombs, one of the pioneers of LEO (Lyons Electronic Office), the world's first business computer,  died on 28th February 2022 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, at the age of 93. BBC Radio 4's Last Word will be celebrating her life and achievements this afternoon, with a repeat on Sunday at 20:30. 

Obituaries have already appeared in the Guardian and Telegraph, as well as the specialist Register.  

There was a short BBC Witness History feature made about her. Her school, Putney High School, also celebrated her in a video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHiCMfHydlo

For more about LEO, read Georgina Ferry's "A computer called LEO" or watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzu68nRVwtE

(I am grateful to the LEO Computers Society for most of the information above.)

 

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