Grace Hopper was born in 1906 in New York City. She attended Vassar and Yale University. She received her Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale Universtiy in 1934.
She was married to a New York University professor, Vicent Foster Hopper, from 1930 until 1945. She divorced and never remarried. She kept his surname.
She enlisted in the Navy Reserve in 1943 and served as on the Mark I Computer Programming staff. Upon completion of her work in the navy, she went on to pursue a career in
mathematics at Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation. The following were some of her major accomplishments throughout her career:
| Date | Honor |
| 1969 | She won the "computer sciences man of the year" award from the Data Processing Management Association. |
| 1986 | She received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal. |
| 1991 | She received the National Medal of Technology. |