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As an undergrad bio major at UCSD, I didn't feel drawn to the computer oriented major designated APIS (Applied Physics and Informational Sciences). The piles of cards were off putting (1974-1976). I taught a class in 6800 and 8080 microprocessors. We had "trainers" with 128 bytes of program memory. Programs were expressed on graph paper using op code pneumonics and manually assembled including the hex op code, memory addresses and relative "jumps". The student was expected to deliver working code for 23 assignments for a C grade. 3 extra credits for B. 5 extra credits for an A. Self-paced with classroom instruction. Primitive, but effective. 92% of my students were hired by DEC or IBM over the 1980 to 1983 timeframe tracked by the Regional Occupational Program. Today I would expect to deliver that kind of class with real editors, assemblers and compilers. It just wasn't an option at the time.

I ran a little programming languages group in that ‘74-76 timeframe in Cambridge MA and brought in Captain Grace Hopper to talk about the archeology of computers. My hero. She discussed the importance of remembering how things were done in the “old days” with small memory so that the techniques would not be lost as new applications came out needing those very same techniques. I can still remember her saluting at the end of her talk in her navy uniform. I was awestruck to have her there and get to drive her back to the airport.

I still try to keep alive the memories of those old days. I switched from language design at IBM Research to interactive video development and made videos of projects and people that I keep up on my YouTube channel as computer history.

My favorite is probably a musical memory of what it was like to be in an all day computer meeting as the day progressed. I was Secretary of the X3J13 Common Lisp group and this was a meeting in San Jose. These are all the big names in the field of Lisp.

X3J13 Lisp - Joseph Blanchard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjoZXYoDZoY

For those who know of John Backus - Backus-Naur Form and FORTRAN - this was when I was crawling around on the floor of his office during a group meeting to get B-roll for a video I was doing of the San Jose IBM Research group.

John Backus Group Meeting - IBM Research - 5 July 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzBkb-bvNK4

This was a series of interviews with the IBM biggest names telling their memories of an eccentric genius, John Cocke. They were worried about his health and wanted him to know, before it was too late, how very much he was loved. Anyone who followed John around the halls to write down his ideas became famous. My husband was asked to take on that task and refused as he had his own research interests. Sigh.

Computer History - John Cocke: A Retrospective by Friends - 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYwd30iWVvw

Before the video was first shown, there was a party for John and I did B-roll for that, too. One clip shows Isaac Asimov who gave the main talk.

My Old Friend - Tim McGraw - John Cocke and Computer Pioneers - 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80x4wR2UDk0