Cecilia Berdichevski

Cecilia Berdichevsky or Berdichevski (; 30 March 1925 – 20 February 2010) was an Argentine computer scientist. She began her work in 1961 using the first Ferranti Mercury computer in that country.

Biography She was born Mirjam Tuwjasz on 30 March 1925 to a Polish-Jewish family in Vidzy, at that time part of Poland, now Belarus.

Because of growing hostilities toward the Jewish community, first her father and then her mother Hoda

Clementina

At the age of 31, Berdichevsky began her studies of mathematics with Manuel Sadosky. There she had her first experience programming the new Ferranti Mercury computer, which became known by the nickname Clementina after someone programmed it to play the American song "Oh My Darling, Clementine". In 1961, when it arrived in Buenos Aires from England, Clementina, which cost US$300,000, was the most powerful computer in the country. It was long, in narrow cabinets.

In addition, Berdichevsky worked as a "head of practical works" of Numerical Calculus I, where the tenured professor was her mentor, Manuel Sadosky, who was vice-dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires from 1957 to 1966.

Berdichevsky herself began working as an accountant. Between 1966 and 1970 she was also one of the directors of Scientific Technical Advisors (ACT), the company formed by her former academic associates, Manuel Sadosky, Rebeca Guber and Juan Chamero.

Later years In 1984, Berdichevsky became Deputy General Manager of the Argentine savings bank Caja de Ahorro in charge of its computer center. She was also named the representative at the International Federation for Information Processing.

After her retirement, she continued to work as a computer consultant and participated in important international projects and organizations such as United Nations Development Program.

Cecilia Berdichevsky died in Avellaneda, Argentina, 28 February 2010.

Published work

Berdichevsky C. (2006) The Beginning of Computer Science in Argentina — Clementina – (1961–1966). In: Impagliazzo J. (eds) History of Computing and Education 2 (HCE2). IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 215. Springer, New York, NY (complete paper in English)