Evelyn Berezin

Evelyn Berezin (April 12, 1925 - December 8, 2018) was an American computer designer responsible for the creation of the first airline reservation systems and the original word processor.

Early life and education Born in the Bronx on 1925, Berezin attended Christopher Columbus High School. In 1945, she earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a doctorate in the same field. In 1951, she began working in the computer industry. Working at different companies is where she learned about logic design and system development. She was often the only woman in technical teams.

Simultaneously, she was working full-time in the Rheology Department as an assistant for an International Printing Company known at the time as IPI. Evelyn earned her B.S. in physics in the year 1946 A startup from Brooklyn by the name of Electronic Computer Corporation offered Berezin an opportunity to become the head of the Logistic Design Department in 1951 which she accepted even though she lacked experience in computer design. This was due to her struggle to find work within the physics world. It was a blessing in disguise as she went on to design many types of computers for different purposes including what we currently know as the office computer. known as Teleregister where she went on to aid in the creation of the Reservisor, the original airline reservation systems. During her time at Teleregister, she also helped with making the first computerized banking system that many businesses went on to utilize.

The New York Stock Exchange even reached out with a job offer in 1960. Unfortunately, due to the fact that she was a woman, it was quickly retracted.

In 1968, Berezin attempted to address the pain points of working as a secretary such as needing to completely retype documents when an error was found or wanting to make changes. She created the first computerized word processor and dubbed it the Data Secretary. Berezin died 15 years later whilst being treated for cancer, on December 8, 2018. 2006 Women Achiever's Against the Odds Honoree for the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls 2011 Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame Honorary Doctorate from Eastern Michigan University She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2020.

Patents Information Transfer Apparatus Electronic Data File Processor Information Transfer System On-Line Data Transfer Apparatus Electrical Assemblage Data Processing System Arithmetic Device Electronic Calculator with Dynamic Recirculating Storage Register Control means with Record Sensing for an Electronic Calculator