Hartree Way (Mar 03)

Hartree Way: Douglas Hartree was the first European to program a computer in 1945. The Americans had built the ENIAC an electronic computer without a stored program. They required advice from someone to make proper usage of the machine and Douglas Hartree was approached. He was an authority on mathematics and became involved with the calculations. Its first use was to calculate the trajectory of shells under varying conditions, this was followed by design work for the building of the Hydrogen bomb. The works of this man are still quoted in atomic physics to this day, 45 years after his death.

A commemoration of these men who produced the first computers, including Wilkes and Hartree, is proposed to be erected on the open space in front of Baden Powell Walk.