Serendipity, Developing LINC’s Operating System, and the Importance of Staying Curious with Mary Allen Wilkes | by Mariana Carvalho | Nov, 2024

What an honor and pleasure to introduce the first guest of The Timeless Technology Podcast: Mary Allen Wilkes, a lawyer, computer scientist, and software engineer.

Mary Allen is best known for her pioneering contributions to developing the first personal computer. Along with Wesley Clark and his team, Wilkes redefined what was possible for technology and its interaction with individuals. Her journey from philosophy major to programmer, and later to lawyer, is as inspiring as it is groundbreaking.

Born in 1937, Wilkes graduated from Wellesley College in 1959 with a degree in philosophy. Despite having no formal training in computer science — a discipline still in its development — she entered the field of programming during an era when computers were massive, inaccessible machines reserved for governments and large institutions. She began her career at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, where her sharp intellect and innate problem-solving skills quickly made her an invaluable member of a team working on a revolutionary project: the Laboratory INstrument Computer, or LINC.

The LINC is often regarded as one of the first personal computers. Unlike the monolithic mainframes of the time, which were operated by specialists in large organizations, the LINC was designed for individual use by scientists in their laboratories. Wilkes was instrumental in this project, writing the operating system for the machine. Her work on the LINC Assembly Programming System helped transform the LINC from a technical novelty into a practical and indispensable tool for research. This contribution not only shaped the capabilities of the LINC but also demonstrated the feasibility of computers as personal devices.

Wilkes’ groundbreaking work extended beyond programming.

In a move that was revolutionary for its time, she had a LINC installed in her parents’ home in Baltimore, where she worked remotely. This setup made her one of the first people to use a personal computer in a home setting, a concept that was virtually unheard of in the 60s. Her use of the LINC at home anticipated the modern era of remote work and personal computing, decades before these became commonplace.

Her work made it clear that computing was not just for specialists but could be a tool for anyone with a need for its capabilities.

Later in her career, Wilkes shifted her focus and earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1975. She became a practicing attorney, focusing on litigation involving computer technology. Her work on the LINC proved that computers could be scaled down and democratized, paving the way for the personal computing revolution of the late 20th century.

Mary Allen Wilkes’ legacy is profound. She was not only a pioneer of personal computing but also an embodiment of how passion and intellect can break barriers. Her story remains an inspiration, especially to women in STEM, showing that with determination, the bounds of possibility can be expanded.

The Episode

In our conversation, we talked about how serendipity plays an important role in her life, how it was to develop the first operating system for a personal computer in the 60s, the first use cases in biomedical research and its long-lasting impact in the field, her perception of the role of women computers, and her advice to her younger self.

Listen to the full episode here.

Relevant Interviews & Resources

• Mary Allen Wilkes, by Laura Weis, 2024.
• Computer History Museum Interview, 2021.
• The Secret History of Women in Coding, in The New York Times, by Clive Thompson, 2019.
• Mary Allen Wilkes ’59: Women and the LINC to Modern Computer Technology, Wellesley CS News, 2019.
• How the Computer became Personal, John Markoff, NY Times, 2001.

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