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Hamilton, Margaret (Margaret Heafield) (Class of 1958)

 Person

Biography

A native of Paoli, Indiana, Margaret Heafield graduated from Earlham in 1958. She credits Earlham math professor Florence Long as encouraging an interest in abstract mathematics. That led to work in software development that made her the lead engineer for the Apollo XI moon shot. She is credited as one of the originators of the term “software engineering.” In 2016 she received the presidential Medal of Freedom.