Dina St Johnston

Dina St Johnston (née Aldrina Nia Vaughan; 20 September 1930 – 30 June/1 July 2007) was a British computer programmer credited with founding the UK's first software house in 1959.

Early life and education Born Aldrina Nia Vaughan in south London, St Johnston was educated at Selhurst Grammar School for Girls before leaving school at 16 or 17 (accounts vary) to work for the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association. St Johnston worked and studied part-time, studying at Croydon Polytechnic and later Sir John Cass College before gaining an external London University degree in mathematics. Significant contracts came to St Johnston and VPS, such as programming early nuclear power stations, but in 1970 she branched out into hardware, producing her own computer, the 4M, and the company changed its name to Vaughan Systems and Programming in 1975 to reflect the new area of work.

Later life In 1996, Vaughan Systems and Programming was sold to Harmon Industries, an American railway signalling company.

St Johnston continued programming until the mid-1990s. She retired in 1999 and died on 30 June/1 July 2007, aged 86