The pioneering women who helped create modern computing

Kathy Kleiman discovered the ENIAC Programmers as a Harvard undergraduate and a female programmer in search of role models and inspiration. Her junior paper and senior thesis explored the missing chapter of computer history – the ENIAC Programmers and many other women who were pioneers in early programming and software. A decade later, upon learning that most of the ENIAC Programmers were not invited to the ENIAC’s 50th Anniversary she set out to record their oral histories, seek recognition for their accomplishments and produce the first feature documentary to tell their dramatic story. So much of the work is done. Kathy and award-winning film producer David Roland recorded 20 hours of broadcast quality oral histories with the ENIAC Programmers. Nominated by Kathy, the Programmers have received awards at the highest level of computing. Now Kathy seeks to turn these oral histories, and the story entrusted to her, into an inspiring documentary. Further, with the passing of Jean Bartik just recently, on March 23, 2011, Kathy has decided to devote this year to the completion of documentary, and the full telling of this powerful story to all – especially young women. Recent Director of Policy for .ORG, The Public Interest Registry, Kathy has been a leader in debates over the future of the Internet and helped shape policies of the Domain Name System. Part of the group that founded the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers(ICANN), and a co-founder of ICANN’s Noncommercial Users Constituency, Kathy speaks regularly and works frequently on issues of online free speech, fair use, online security and privacy. The ENIAC Programmers remain a constant inspiration to her work.