Jean Bartik is known for her work in the field of early computer science and software engineering. After graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in 1945, she moved to Philadelphia to work with the U.S. Army.

She was one of six influential women human computers who helped program the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) computer, widely regarded as the first all-electronic digital computer. Their efforts to program the ENIAC, which computed the trajectories of ballistic missiles, were critical during World War II. It was a difficult job, and the fiery programmer is quoted as saying: “The ENIAC was a son of a bitch to program.”