Kathleen Booth was a significant person in the field of computer science. She contributed greatly as well as advocated for diversity in technology and education. Born in Sourbridge, Worcestershire, England, she went to attend the University of London. Kathleen received a bachelor's in Mathematics continuing her education to gain her PhD in Applied Mathematics. During the time of getting her PhD, Kathleen worked at Birkbeck College and was part of a team. That team and her lead to create many of the first Automatic Relay Computers (ARC).
In the early 1950s, she assisted in the development Automatic Relay Computer, an early example of a stored-program computer. They also created the development of the ARC allowed for powerful computing systems that form the foundation of technology today.
Additionally, she was vital in developing one of the first assembly languages. This allowed for instructions to be read easily and understandable compared to the former, binary code. This addition to the field allowed for improved accessibility which is a key component in advancing forward.
Kathleen was the author of books and reports. Her along with her husband Andrew Britten co-authored the book Automatic digital calculators. In 1947, she co-authored reports with him, General considerations in the design of an all-purpose electronic digital computer and Coding for the A.R.C.
Though she made technical contributions to her field, she also was a strong advocate for woman. Her emphasis for diversity, and her expression of the importance of diversity in the field has influenced and encouraged future generations in the technological field.
Computer Science Department