Computer Science Pioneer Never Noticed She Was a Pioneer

Hazel Jacoby never noticed she was a pioneer. She was too busy enjoying computer science.

After studying math as an undergraduate, Jacoby came to Washington State University as a computer science graduate student in 1970, becoming one of the first women to graduate from the fledgling program.

Jacoby, who grew up on California’s Central Coast, was fortunate to have great math teachers at a young age. Teachers in eighth grade and her junior year in high school encouraged her interest in math and computer science. During her junior year, her high school teacher brought in a peg board, introducing the students to their first programming. Later, the teacher encouraged Jacoby to try out a junior college programming class, which she loved.

Perhaps unlike many women who dabbled in math or science, Jacoby was never told that she shouldn’t pursue math or computer science. “I never had any parents, relatives, or teachers tell me I shouldn’t (study computer science) because it’s a man’s world,’’ she says. “They let me open the world to what I wanted to do.’’

At WSU, she remembers two courses as being particularly valuable. In her compiler course, she learned to write down programs – for the first time, they were too complicated to keep track in her head. Her other favorite was a course in which she learned assembler language. It became the computer language that she used throughout her career. At WSU, she also became one of the first female teaching assistants in computer science.

After receiving her master’s degree, Jacoby began her career working at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey. She later moved to Pacific Telephone and Telegraph and Clorox Co., where she did work in performance analysis and systems support for mainframe computers in data centers. She then became a consultant on managing computer systems for IBM until her retirement.

Jacoby says she was well-suited for computer work and naturally enjoys logical processes. In fact, her co-workers teased her because they said she was apparently one of just a few who could actually read and understand an IBM manual. “I’m 100 percent logical,’’ she says.

Jacoby so enjoyed her field that she never particularly noticed that she was one of just a handful of women. During her career, she ran into only one manager who treated her differently based on her gender, and then she was not afraid to go to bat for herself.

She was well into her career when she heard an IBM representative mention that she was one of just a handful of women at a large conference.

“I was so fascinated all the time by what I was doing, I didn’t stop to think that I was the only woman,’’ she said.

Jacoby has established a charitable remainder trust that will endow a scholarship fund for out-of-state students in computer science. Jacoby says she appreciates the support she received when she came to WSU and wanted to give something back.

To young women entering the field of computer science, Jacoby suggests that they not be afraid to stand up for themselves. “If you don’t step up for yourself, no one is going to do it for you,’’ she says. “It’s up to you to take care of yourself.’’ Students should also follow their true interests rather than what might be a suggested career path. Computer science is never boring because it is continually changing.  “It’s a place for anybody who wants to understand or be involved in technology,’’ she says.