Bobby Hersom (born 1929 in Cheshire, England) is a British mathematician and computer scientist known for her early work on computers at Elliott Brothers, Hatfield Polytechnic, and the Rothamstead Agricultural Research Station.[1]
Life
Hersom was born Roberta Lewis[2] in Cheshire, England, the oldest of three children. She earned a maths degree from the University of Cambridge in 1950. She then earned a teaching degree in 1951.[1] She was a member of The Round, an English Country Dance Club while at Cambridge.[3][4]: 267
She married Ed Hersom, who she met through work, in 1954.[5]: 116
Her son Colin also attended Cambridge[3] and was a mathematician and her daughter was a farmer.[1] She regretted having to quit her work as a computer scientist after her first child was born, which meant she could only work freelance.[6]
Her husband died in 2002.[4]: 302
Career
After earning her teaching degree, Hersom worked as a teacher, but realized she didn't enjoy that work.[1]
She started working in the Theory Division at Elliott Brothers in Borehamwood, UK, in 1953.[4]: 262, 267 There she wrote software programs for Nicholas, a research computer. Some of the software she developed processed radar data.[1] In 1954, she left that job to start her family.[5]: 116 [2]
Hersom then worked for Rothamstead for 11 years.[1] She later worked as a consultant for Hatfield Polytechnic, along with her husband. She worked there until retirement.[1]