Mike Woodger Explained

Mike Woodger
Birth Date:28 March 1923
Birth Place:Epsom, Surrey, England
Citizenship:British
Field:Computer science
Workplaces:National Physical Laboratory
Alma Mater:University College London

Michael Woodger (born 28 March 1923) is a pioneering English computer scientist. He was influential in the development of the early Pilot ACE computer, working with Alan Turing, and later the design and documentation of programming languages such as ALGOL 60 and Ada.[1] He was based at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) located in Teddington, London, for most of his career.[2]

Mike Woodger was the eldest of four children. His father was Joseph Henry Woodger (1894–1981), a professor of biology at the University of London. He graduated from University College London in 1943 and worked at the Ministry of Supply on military applications for the rest of World War II.[3] In May 1946, he then joined the new Mathematics Division at the National Physical Laboratory located in west London. At NPL, he worked with Alan Turing on the ACE computer design,[4] leading eventually to the Pilot ACE computer[5] after Turing had left NPL, first operational in 1950.[6] He later worked on programming language design, especially ALGOL 60 and Ada.[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pioneer Profile: Michael Woodger . David . Yates . . 50 . Spring 2010.
  2. Book: Yates, David M. . 1997 . Turing's Legacy: A history of computing at the National Physical Laboratory 1945–1995 . . UK . 978-0-9018-0594-2 . 10, 12, 24, 30–31, 38, 39, 66, 70, 111, 124, 159, 176, 182, 219, 222, 236, 316, 329, 331, 332.
  3. Web site: Michael Woodger . . UK . 26 January 2017.
  4. Woodger . M. . Automatic Computing Engine of the National Physical Laboratory . . 167 . 1951 . 270.
  5. News: Campbell-Kelly . Martin . Martin Campbell-Kelly . Programming the Pilot ACE: Early Programming Activity at the National Physical Laboratory . . . 3 . 1 . 1981 . 133–162.
  6. Web site: Alan Turing: Assistant Mike Woodger recalls working with the computer pioneer . . . UK . 22 June 2012 . 26 January 2017.
  7. Web site: Michael Woodger . Lee . J. A. N. . . . 26 January 2017.