Erna Hoover is recognized for being one of the first women pioneers in computer technology. She designed a switching system for phone traffic, and was awarded one of the earliest software patents for her work.

Born June 19, 1926, in Irvington, New Jersey, Erna Schneider and her younger siblings, a brother who died from polio at age five, and a sister, were raised by their dentist father and former teacher mother in South Orange, where Hoover attended public school. An active child, Hoover enjoyed swimming, sailing, and canoeing in the Adirondacks, and was always welcome in the boys' softball games. Interested in science at an early age, Hoover read Marie Curie's biography, which taught her that women could succeed despite the odds and the prevailing wisdom of the time.

Graduating from Wellesley College in 1948 as a Phi Beta Kappa and Durant Scholar, Hoover earned her B.A. in classical and...