Earlham alumna to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom today

RICHMOND, Ind. — A 1958 Earlham College alumna will be at the White House today as one of 21 distinguished Americans to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, from President Obama.

What put Margaret Hamilton is such elite company that includes NBA legend Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, superstar comedian Ellen DeGeneres and mega recording artist Bruce Springsteen?

She was a computer scientist who helped create the on-board flight software for NASA’s Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle.

Hamilton directed the on-board flight software project for those projects while serving as director of the software engineering division of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Hamilton became a pioneer in the systems engineering and software development industry. Later, she helped define system software requirements for the Space Shuttle program.

She is founder and C.E.O. of Hamilton Technologies, Inc., which designs systems and develops software based on a paradigm known as “Development Before the Fact.”

In 1986, she received the Augusta Lovelace Award from the Association for Women in Computing and in 2009 Earlham presented Hamilton with the Outstanding Alumni Award.

President Obama, in the official announcement, said the freedom medal is “a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way.”

David Dawson, president of the Richmond, Ind., college, said, “Margaret is a wonderful example of what we hope for all Earlhamites: that they will be able to use their intelligence, multidisciplinary interests, curiosity and innovative spirit to contribute to positive change in the world. In particular, she is an inspiration to young women scientists who can look at her as a reminder for what is possible. Her incredible accomplishments make us all proud to be Earlhamites.”