#codegirls

Each month we spotlight a woman or girl in tech who inspires us. This month we are highlighting Dorothy (Dot) Braden Bruce. Dot is one of several women highlighted in the new book, Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy. Dot grew up in Lynchburg, VA, graduated from Randolph Macon Women's College, and began teaching high school in Virginia until she learned of a possible, but undisclosed, government job in Washington, D.C.

Dot’s story of going from a small town teacher to an unknown, secret job decrypting intercepted messages to help the allies win the war, demonstrates a level of tenacity that thousands of women who laid the groundwork for our current cybersecurity industry had. They also faced a level of myths and stereotypes about women that seem appalling and ridiculous now.

Code Girls is so good, but sometimes frustrating to read because it's about a large cohort of women who were "pioneering the field at the dawn of the computing industry," yet lost to history until now. It’s a must read for anyone who loves computer science! I had the pleasure of meeting Dot and moderating the Code Girls: Smart Got It Done panel at the Virginia Festival of the Book.

Here are some thoughts shared at the panel captured in tweets.