The Story of Sister Mary Kenneth Keller, the First Woman to Earn a Doctorate in Computer Science in the United States

Sister Mary Kenneth Keller (born Evelyn Marie Keller, December 17, 1913 – January 10, 1985) was a pioneering American Catholic nun, educator, and computer scientist. She became the first woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in computer science, awarded in 1965 by the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Evelyn Marie Keller was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to John Adam Keller and Catherine Josephine (née Sullivan). In 1932, at age 18, she entered the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (B.V.M.), a Roman Catholic order. She professed her vows in 1940, taking the religious name Sister Mary Kenneth. Her early education focused on the sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from DePaul University in Chicago in 1943 and a Master of Science in Mathematics and Physics from the same institution in 1953.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Keller pursued advanced studies in computing at several institutions, including Purdue University, the University of Michigan, and Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth, she participated in a 1961 summer program for high school teachers and collaborated with mathematicians John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz. She contributed to the development of BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), one of the earliest and most accessible high-level programming languages designed to make computing available to a broader audience, including non-specialists and students.

She later enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her dissertation, titled “Inductive Inference on Computer Generated Patterns” (supervised by Professor Preston Hammer), involved constructing algorithms for analytic differentiation of algebraic expressions, implemented in CDC FORTRAN 63.

In 1965, at age 51, she received her Ph.D. She and Irving C. Tang were the first two recipients of computer science doctorates in the U.S. (Keller’s Ph.D. and Tang’s D.Sc. were awarded the same day; another man received his slightly earlier that day at a different institution). Keller was the first woman to achieve this milestone.

After graduation, Sister Mary Kenneth returned to her order’s Clarke College (now Clarke University) in Dubuque, Iowa—a Catholic women’s college. She founded its computer science department in 1965, one of the first at a small college in the U.S., and directed it for about 20 years.

She was a strong advocate for expanding access to computers in education, believing they could democratize learning and empower women and others traditionally excluded from technical fields. The National Science Foundation supported her work with a $25,000 grant for instructional equipment. She taught many students, including mothers who sometimes brought children to class, and authored or co-authored books on computer science, including texts on BASIC.

Sister Keller died in Dubuque, Iowa, on January 10, 1985, at age 71. She exemplified how faith, education, and innovation could intersect. In an era when women faced significant barriers in STEM, she broke new ground while remaining committed to her religious vocation and the mission of making technology accessible for teaching and learning.

Her story highlights early efforts to broaden participation in computing, from developing user-friendly languages like BASIC to building academic programs at smaller institutions. Today, she is remembered as a trailblazer who helped pave the way for greater diversity in computer science.

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Émile Vernon: Master of Romantic French Art

Émile Vernon (1872–1919) was a talented French artist renowned for his delicate and romantic style during the Belle Époque period.

Working primarily in watercolor and gouache, Vernon specialized in idealized portraits of graceful young women, often depicted in soft, dreamy settings adorned with flowers and gentle lighting. His works perfectly captured the elegant femininity, poetic mood, and sentimental charm of early 20th-century French art.

These exquisite artworks beautifully showcase Émile Vernon’s mastery of romantic French art. With their soft color palettes, graceful figures, and dreamy atmospheres, his paintings continue to enchant viewers with their timeless elegance and poetic sensibility, offering a delightful window into the refined aesthetic of the Belle Époque.

A Summer Rose

A Sweet Glance

A Young Beauty Reading Her Book

A Young Lady with a Mirror

An Elegant Lady with a Yellow Rose

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Stunning Vintage Photos of Gina Lollobrigida on the Set of “The Law” (1959)

These stunning vintage photos capture the legendary Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida at the peak of her beauty and fame during the filming of the 1959 drama The Law (La legge).

Shot on location in the sun-drenched landscapes of southern Italy, these portraits showcase Lollobrigida’s magnetic presence, radiant smile, and voluptuous charm that made her one of the most iconic sex symbols of world cinema in the 1950s.

Whether posing playfully between takes or exuding dramatic intensity, these rare images offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the making of one of her memorable films and celebrate the timeless glamour of “La Lollo” in her prime.

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Photos of 17-Year-Old Phoebe Cates on the Set of Her Debut Film “Paradise” (1982)

Phoebe Cates’ experience on the set of Paradise (1982) was highly stressful, and it ultimately left her with deep regrets about the project. Paradise was her feature film debut,shot when she was just 17 years old, and it heavily modeled itself after the massive success of Brooke Shields’ The Blue Lagoon (1980). However, the reality of the shoot in Israel’s Negev Desert was far from ideal.

Cates was originally a successful teenage model but wanted to transition into acting. After passing a screen test in New York, she was offered the lead role of Sarah. She was highly apprehensive about the extensive nudity required by the script, but she ultimately took the job after her father encouraged her to accept it.

Filming in the harsh Negev Desert from March to May of 1981 proved to be a difficult learning curve. Cates noted in a 1982 interview that she struggled with the self-consciousness of her new career: “As a model, you have to be conscious of the camera; but as an actress, you cannot.”

The primary source of Cates’ distress and subsequent anger toward the film was how the production handled her nude scenes. While she did film several revealing scenes herself, she later discovered that the producers had used a body double to shoot much more explicit, close-up nude shots of her character without her knowledge or consent. The experience completely soured her view of the movie. Upon its release, she made her stance very clear. She later stated, “What I learned was never to do a movie like that again.”

Her co-star, Willie Aames, revealed that Cates was so upset about how she was treated that she completely distanced herself from the film and refused to do any promotional press alongside him. Interestingly, despite hating the film, she did record the movie’s main vocal theme, “Paradise,” which actually became a major pop hit in parts of Europe and Asia.

Fortunately, her very next project, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (released just six months later in late 1982), catapulted her to genuine stardom on her own terms.

26 Amazing Photographs of Ginger Rogers Playing Tennis From the Mid-20th Century

Academy Award-winning actress and dancer Ginger Rogers was a highly accomplished tennis player who took the sport seriously enough to compete at the highest level of American tennis. While best known for her legendary Hollywood dance partnerships, her athletic prowess extended far beyond the studio dance floors.

Her dedication culminated in playing in the mixed doubles draw at the 1950 U.S. National Championships (now known as the US Open) at Forest Hills. At 39 years old, she partnered with Frank Shields (the grandfather of actress Brooke Shields). Though they were eliminated in the first round, competing at a Grand Slam level cemented her status as a legitimate tennis player.

Her former assistant, Roberta Olden, told Fox News that Rogers was a very good tennis player who always beat her even though she was decades older than she was. Rogers initially played the sport alongside Hollywood legends such as Errol Flynn and Katharine Hepburn, but she was looking for a challenge, and she certainly got it at the tournament. Unfortunately, she and Shields lost to a much younger team. Rogers also competed in a celebrity tournament that took place in conjunction with the U.S. Open, but she and her partner lost before the final match.

Observers of her game frequently remarked that the same flawless footwork, balance, and timing that made her a transcendent dancer translates directly to her tennis style. She possessed a strong, competitive drive and continued to play well into her later years.

Rogers was highly influential in styling her own on-court looks, often opting for clean, tailored, and occasionally daring two-piece white ensembles that brought Hollywood elegance to the traditional tennis clubs of the mid-20th century.

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50 Glamorous Photos of Barbara Stanwyck in the 1940s

Barbara Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was at the peak of her Hollywood stardom in the 1940s, becoming one of the era’s most versatile, highest-paid, and respected actresses. She was known for her strong, naturalistic screen presence, professionalism, and ability to excel in screwball comedies, dramas, melodramas, and especially film noir.

She starred in romantic and screwball comedies like Remember the Night (1940) with Fred MacMurray, The Lady Eve (1941) with Henry Fonda, Ball of Fire (1941) with Gary Cooper (earning her second Oscar nomination), Meet John Doe (1941) with Gary Cooper and Frank Capra, and You Belong to Me (1941).

By 1944, she was the highest-paid actress in the U.S., commanding an unprecedented salary of $400,000. Her iconic turn as the seductive, scheming femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944, with Fred MacMurray) earned her a third Oscar nomination and cemented her in film noir history. Other notable films included Lady of Burlesque (1943), the holiday favorite Christmas in Connecticut (1945), The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946, as a manipulative murderess with Van Heflin and Kirk Douglas), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948, fourth Oscar nomination as a vulnerable woman overhearing her own murder plot), and others like The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947) and East Side, West Side (1949).

She worked with top directors (e.g., Capra, Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder) and was praised for her work ethic, versatility (from glamorous con artists to homemakers to tough survivors), and realism. She made dozens of films overall in her career but shone brightest here before transitioning more to TV later.

In the 1940s, Stanwyck had a sleek, elegant, and sophisticated look—often with shoulder-length or upswept wavy hair (sometimes in snoods, popular wartime style), tailored suits, glamorous gowns (many by Edith Head), and a poised, confident demeanor. She went prematurely gray and studios touched it up in photos. Her style mixed glamour with toughness, fitting her “dame” roles perfectly; she remains an icon for 1940s fashion inspiration.

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