Dudley Hooper
Dudley Wood Hooper | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | January 12, 1968 (aged 57) |
| Occupation(s) | Accountant, Business professional, Lecturer |
| Known for | Early President of the British Computer Society, advancement of electronic data processing |
Dudley Wood Hooper MA FCA (1 August 1910 – 12 January 1968) was a notable British business professional associated with the UK National Coal Board (NCB) and served as an early President of the British Computer Society (BCS). As an accountant, he was instrumental in advancing the use of electronic data processing (EDP).
Hooper received his education at Charterhouse School followed by Clare College, Cambridge, achieving qualification as a Chartered Accountant in 1935. Between 1940 and 1945, he contributed to World War II efforts, predominantly stationed in Africa working as a staff officer.
Bringing together skills in mathematics, accounting, and office technology, Hooper dedicated nearly twenty years to the NCB beginning in 1948. His initial focus involved the application of accounting machine technology. From 1954 until 1964, he held the position of Chief Organising Accountant before moving to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales as a Technical Officer. In 1948, Hooper developed foundational concepts related to data processing, well before computers suitable for office environments were widely accessible, and he was a trailblazer in educating business professionals on computer usage.
Hooper was influential in the creation of the British Computer Society during the late 1950s. In April 1956, he chaired a meeting for the London Computer Group (LCG) held in Westminster. The BCS emerged in 1957 through the amalgamation of the LCG and a scientific association. Hooper served as the inaugural Chairman of BCS and was its President from 1961 to 1962. Additionally, he contributed to The Computer Journal as a member of its Editorial Board and established as well as edited The Computer Bulletin.
He also held lecturing responsibilities at Northampton Polytechnic, which later became City University.
In recognition of his contributions, the Dudley Hooper Memorial Lecture was inaugurated, with its first presentation delivered on 28 January 1969 by Lord Robens of Woldingham, then Chairman of the National Coal Board, at the University of London under the auspices of the British Computer Society.