Marjorie Devaney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marjorie Devaney
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| Born |
Marjorie Ann Jones
March 3, 1931 Bell, California, USA
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| Died | September 20, 2007 (aged 76) |
| Resting place | Guaje Pines Cemetery, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA |
| Alma mater | University of New Mexico–Los Alamos |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Devaney |
Marjorie Ann "Marge" Jones Devaney (March 3, 1931 – September 20, 2007) was an American mathematician, electrical engineer, and computer scientist who assisted in the development of the MANIAC I (Mathematical Analyzer Numerical Integrator And Computer) computer in 1951 as a member of the Theoretical Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, making her one of world's earliest computer programmers.
Life and education
Marjorie Devaney was the child of farmers from Wisconsin who lost their money and possessions in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Soon after, her family relocated to California where her father had a job arranged as a gravestone manufacturer. Devaney was born in Bell, California in March 1931, making her the youngest of three children (one brother and one sister). At age four, her family moved to Pomona, California where Devaney spent her childhood years and graduated high school. Devaney started her college education at the University of Denver in September 1948. She graduated in August 1951 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. In the early 1970s, Devaney began post-graduate studies at the University of New Mexico–Los Alamos (UNMLA). She completed graduate school with a master's degree in computer science and electrical engineering. Devaney married Joseph James Devaney, and together they had one daughter. Devaney died in Los Alamos, New Mexico on September 20, 2007, and left behind her husband whose death occurred three days later.
Career
Marjorie Devaney began her career on October 8, 1951 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She joined the MANIAC I program as a member of the Theoretical Division under the leadership of Nicholas Metropolis and Jack Johnson. The Theoretical Division eventually became the Computing Division, where she worked for forty years. She retired in 1991 having made a number of contributions to the MANIAC I and MANIAC II programs. Her most notable work includes the co-creation of a central file system (CFS) used at the laboratory in Los Alamos, a task which took more than a decade to complete. Devaney wrote and co-wrote several publications primarily related to mathematics and programming. Additionally, Devaney's work is referenced in numerous, independent publications.
