Remembering Frances E. Allen

It is with great regret that we announce the passing of Frances “Fran” Allen, an innovator in computing, and inspiration to countless technologists.

Fran, who began as a programmer, helped design and build high-level codes and complex new languages for IBM. She was one of just three designers for IBM’s Stretch-Harvest project, and was the language liaison for the National Security Agency (NSA).

Frances “Fran” Allen published papers that implemented frameworks for program analysis,  introduced the notion of “intervals”, and identified many transformations used today.

In addition to her countless advances in computing and technology, Fran was passionate about mentorship, as well as supporting her team and their ideas.

Because of this, Fran received a multitude of awards and honors. She is an inspiration in and out of the industry, and her compassion and incredible innovations will continue to inspire generations of technologists.

Learn more about IBM Fellow Fran Allen in Remembering Frances E. Allen provided by IBM Research.