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Beatrice Helen Worsley: Canada's Female Computer Pioneer

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Beatrice Helen Worsley: Canada's Female Computer Pioneer Beatrice Helen Worsley: Canada’s Female Computer Pioneer Scott M. Campbell University of Toronto When Beatrice Worsley died in 1972, Canada lost a computer pioneer and a witness to several great moments in computing history. This biography aims to provide insight into Worsley’s obscure, but remarkable and all too short, career. In the past decade, several authors have begun Oaxaca, which her grandparents had estab- to explore the history of computing in Canada. lished in the 1850s. Around 1917, the mill was A special 1994 issue (vol. 16, no. 2, April–June) destroyed by rebels, and the family moved to of the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing El Salto where Joel rose to general manager of was dedicated to the theme, and John the Rio Grande group’s CIMSA mills. Charles Vardalas’s book, The Computer Revolution in and Beatrice were home schooled by their Canada, (MIT Press, 2001) examined the devel- mother, and the children spent many years iso- opment of a Canadian computer industry. lated and physically cut off from the surround- When discussions turn to early developments ing community for general safety reasons. They at the University of Toronto, one name that fre- learned Spanish, although not fluently. quently appears is Beatrice Worsley. Although many other computer pioneers still recall her Early days quiet personality, complete accounts of her In 1929, Joel and his wife left Mexico for career and life are more disjoint. Toronto, Canada, primarily for their children’s In fact, her experiences and accomplishments education. In Toronto, Charles attended Upper were remarkable. During her short career before a Canada College, one of the oldest and more fatal heart attack at age 50 in 1972, Worsley built prestigious private schools in the country. a differential analyzer; was a member of the Beatrice, aged 7, attended Brown Public School Cambridge, UK, Mathematical Laboratory, during until 1934, then attended the private Bishop the first EDSAC run; worked with well-known fig- Strachan School until 1939. Both Worsley chil- ures such as Douglas Hartree and Alan Turing for dren tested well enough to be put in advanced her PhD; published 17 technical papers; cowrote classes.2 a compiler for the Ferranti Mark I; and taught var- The Bishop Strachan School was founded in ious computer courses for 20 years at the 1867, under the Anglican Church of England, as University of Toronto and Queen’s University in an alternative to the many Catholic orphanage Kingston, Ontario. and finishing schools in Toronto. Originally, Worsley was a pioneering computer scientist students were typically daughters or relatives of and the first female in Canada to make signifi- clergy, or from the middle-class families of the cant contributions to the field. This biography region. In the 1920s, however, tuition was will not fully explore the role of gender in the increased, and the school began catering to the history of computing, but as we shall see, there well-to-do. When Worsley was a student in the is little doubt that Worsley’s gender had a sig- 1930s, the school’s reputation was academics nificant effect on her career.1 and religion and featured a heavy dose of Beatrice Helen Worsley was born in extracurricular sports, drama, and music. Most Queretaro, Mexico, on 18 October 1921, the teachers were British, hired specifically for a pre- second child of Joel and Beatrice Marie ferred English teaching style.3 Worsley. Their first was Charles Robert Worsley, Two educational tracks were available. The a few years older, born in Atemajac. Joel first emphasized religious and domestic train- Worsley had been born in Ashton-Under-Lynn, ing; the second offered a university track pro- Manchester, UK, in 1887 to a working-class gram including algebra, geometry, chemistry, family. In 1908, he moved to Mexico to work and physics. Worsley excelled in the university at his wife’s family’s textile mill in Xia near track, despite the fact that she was the youngest IEEE Annals of the History of Computing Published by the IEEE Computer Society 1058-6180/03/$17.00 © 2003 IEEE 51 Beatrice Worsley: Female Computer Pioneer in a class of about 30 students. The head- possible in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval mistress during her stay, a Miss E.M. Lowe, Service (WRCNS), also known as the Wrens. noted she was one of the most brilliant pupils The decision to serve was not unusual, and her ever at the school.4 Worsley finished middle brother, who graduated that year with a bache- school in 1937, with awards in math, physics, lor of architecture, joined the Royal Canadian divinity, English, and general proficiency. Engineers at the same time. In 1938, she completed junior matriculation, and in 1939 graduated, with honors, senior Military service: Wrens matriculation; with awards in math, science, An impression of her personality emerges and proficiency, and the Governor General’s from the pages of her military application. In a Award for the highest overall grade.5 Worsley letter to the WRCNS Recruiting Offices in enrolled in the honors course in science at February 1944, seeking an opening in the Trinity College, University of Toronto, in organization, Worsley expressed a preference September 1939. Her marks earned her a gener- for laboratory work or research duties.9 More al proficiency entrance award and the Burnside details are found in the notes from the recruit- Scholarship in Science from Trinity. She had the ment interview later that month. For example, number-one rank in most classes that year and Worsley expressed a fondness for music and was awarded the first Alexander T. Fulton piano playing, and an interest in photography. Scholarship in Science. In October 1940, she And as the interviewer noted and her refer- transferred to the Mathematics and Physics ences agreed, she had a quiet, pleasant, and division, specializing in applied mathematics. composed personality. Worsley continued to excel academically Probationary Sub-Lieutenant Beatrice Wors- and to impress the lecturers in courses such as ley started service on 5 April 1944 at the HMCS pure and applied mathematics, classical Conestoga base in Galt (now Cambridge), physics, thermodynamics, optics, quantum Ontario. Galt was the basic training center for theory, relativity, and electricity. Because her Wrens from across Canada, and it included college years coincided with World War II, her about four weeks of physical training, drills, studies included German and ballistics. She fin- and lectures on naval customs. For Worsley, ished First Class each year and won the James this was followed by another four weeks of offi- Scott Scholarship in Mathematics and Physics cer training. After several months of unspeci- in her third year. In 1944, she graduated with a fied general duty, she was commissioned and bachelor of arts in mathematics and physics. directed to the Special Branch and on 9 Sep- It’s possible that Worsley’s interest in com- tember transferred to the Naval Research Estab- puting machines was first sparked during these lishment (NRE) at Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship formative years. Between June and August of (HMCS) Stadacona in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for 1942, she had worked with mechanical calcula- harbor defense research. tors in the Actuarial Department of Manufac- Although the NRE was a recent creation of turers Life Insurance Company in Toronto. The the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the origins clerical position would have had little in com- went back to 1940, when the RCN accepted mon with numerical analysis, but the early responsibility for degaussing ships, sailing from exposure could have caught her attention in Canada to Europe, to reduce their magnetic sig- some way.6 Regardless, by graduation the foun- nature and vulnerability to German magnetic dation of Worsley’s career was set as an out- mines. Although in principle a straightforward standing student, with obvious aptitudes in operation, the research, testing, and fine-tun- mathematics and science. Professors later ing of existing and experimental techniques recalled she was one of their best students: gift- fell to a small group of about 50 officers, scien- ed, dependable, conscientious, and painstaking tists, and support staff stationed in Halifax. At in all her work.7 the peak of this activity, Worsley was one of six But what of Worsley’s personality and ambi- Wrens at the NRE. The research and testing of tions? No records at Bishop Strachan exist that degaussing techniques was the beginning of suggest she participated in team sports or scientific naval research in Canada, and the drama. Later, in the 1944 Torontonensis year- NRE’s work was crucial to keeping the East book, the only activity she listed after five years Coast harbors clear of enemy mines.10 at the University of Toronto was the Math and By the time Worsley arrived in Halifax in Physics Society. She did, however, leave no 1944, many of the degaussing operations had doubt as to what she foresaw in her future: become routine, and the scientists were reduced “War service, then advanced study.”8 Indeed, to handling new or special cases only. Worsley Worsley enlisted as soon after graduation as was employed on generalities at first, likely 52 IEEE Annals of the History of Computing assisting with the onshore data analysis, proba- the famed MIT Radiation bly not much different than the lab work she Laboratory and the super- had requested when enlisting. Although exper- visor of Worsley’s master’s iments were under way at the NRE to develop thesis.12 countermeasures against acoustic mines and That thesis, A torpedoes, she was not a member of that par- Mathematical Survey of ticular group. Computing Devices with an With the end of hostilities in 1945, the imme- Appendix on Error Analysis diate relevance of the NRE research declined, and of Differential Analyzers, by early 1946, most of the staff had left, typical- provides a fascinating ly taking advantage of educational opportunities snapshot of contemporary available to veterans.
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