Lois Haibt

Lois B. Mitchell Haibt
Lois B. Mitchell Haibt
Born	1934; United States
Alma mater	Vassar College, Columbia University
Occupation	Computer scientist
Known for	Member of the IBM group responsible for creating FORTRAN

Lois B. Mitchell Haibt (born 1934) is an American computer scientist notable for her role as a member of the ten-person IBM group responsible for creating FORTRAN, the pioneering high-level programming language. She is acknowledged as one of the early trailblazers in the field of computer science.

Education and career

Haibt earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from Vassar College after receiving an academic scholarship, completing her studies in 1955. During her college years, she gained practical experience by working summer jobs at Bell Laboratories.

Upon graduation, Haibt accepted a position at IBM with an annual salary of $5,100—almost twice what Bell Labs offered despite her lack of previous programming experience. She expected the job to be both demanding and intellectually stimulating. The FORTRAN development team was composed of ten young professionals from diverse academic disciplines such as crystallography, cryptography, and mathematics, with Haibt being the only female member.

The group cultivated a cooperative atmosphere: "No one worried about appearing uninformed or protective over their code. We were all learning collectively." To ensure ample access to the IBM 704 machine located at IBM’s Manhattan facility, the team worked through night shifts and often stayed in nearby hotels during daytime hours to rest.

In 1957, Haibt pursued further studies at Columbia University. She is also affiliated with the Mathematical Association of America.

Research contributions

The IBM team devoted close to three years to developing the programming language FORTRAN, fundamentally transforming how computer instructions are written and executed.

Haibt was responsible for leading section four of the FORTRAN project, which involved analyzing program flow data from other parts of the compiler. She applied Monte Carlo methods to statistically estimate how frequently basic program blocks executed in heavily used sections. This effort resulted in the creation of the first syntactic analyzer for arithmetic expressions, which she both designed and implemented independently. Additionally, Haibt contributed to the eleven-member team that authored and published the inaugural FORTRAN reference manual in 1956.

Personal life

Haibt was married to Luther Haibt (1929–2000), who worked as a systems analyst for IBM in Thornwood, NY. The couple resided in New York state. Their daughter, Carolyn, obtained a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and completed a Ph.D. in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Haibt enjoyed hobbies such as interior design and reading.

Works

External links

Group Photo at 1982 Pioneer Day Banquet, Computer History Museum, 9 June 1982