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Raye Jean Montague (née Jordan; January 21, 1935 – October 10, 2018) was an American naval engineer credited with creating the first computer-generated rough draft of a U.S. naval ship. She was the first female program manager of ships in the
Montague joined the United States Navy in 1956 in 
In 1971, her department was allotted one month to create a computer-generated ship design. By modifying existing automated systems, Montague produced the initial draft for the ''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigate in about 19 hours. With this accomplishment, she became the first person to design a ship using a computer system. She later worked on ships such as the ''Seawolf''-class submarine and the ''Nimitz''-class aircraft carrier . Montague retired in 1990.
Montague died of congestive heart failure on October 10, 2018, at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock.
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
.
Early life and education
Raye Jordan was born on January 21, 1935, to Rayford Jordan and Flossie Graves Jordan inLittle Rock
( The "Little Rock")
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, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
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, leader_title2 = Council
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, Arkansas. She was inspired to pursue engineering after seeing a "midget" submarine, possibly the HA. 19, as a traveling exhibit that came to Little Rock.
She recalled, “My grandfather took me downtown to see that submarine and I was able to go down a little ladder into that sub. It was like a tin can. That was my first introduction to ships. You just never know what inspires a person.”
She graduated from Merrill High School in 1952. For college, she attended Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical & Normal College (now University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) and graduated in 1956 with a bachelor of science degree in business. At the time, the engineering program at the University of Arkansas did not admit African-American students.
Career
Montague joined the United States Navy in 1956 in Washington, D.C.
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, as a clerk typist. At work, she sat next to a 1950s UNIVAC I
The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer I) was the first general-purpose electronic digital computer design for business application produced in the United States. It was designed principally by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, the invento ...
computer, watching the engineers operate it until one day, when all the engineers were sick, she jumped in to run the machine. She took computer programming at night school while continuing to work and learn the job. She was appointed as a computer systems analyst at the Naval Ship Engineering Center, and later served as the program director for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Integrated Design, Manufacturing, and Maintenance Program, the division head for the Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) Program, and deputy program manager of the Navy's Information Systems Improvement Program.
In 1971, her department was allotted one month to create a computer-generated ship design. By modifying existing automated systems, Montague produced the initial draft for the ''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigate in about 19 hours. With this accomplishment, she became the first person to design a ship using a computer system. She later worked on ships such as the ''Seawolf''-class submarine and the ''Nimitz''-class aircraft carrier . Montague retired in 1990.
Montague died of congestive heart failure on October 10, 2018, at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock.
Awards
* Meritorious Civilian Service Award (US Navy, 1972) * Society of Manufacturing Engineers Achievement Award (1978) * National Computer Graphics Association Award for the Advancement of Computer Graphics (1988) *Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame
The Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to history of the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bo ...
(2018)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montague, Raye 1935 births 2018 deaths Military personnel from Little Rock, Arkansas University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff alumni African-American engineers Engineers from Arkansas American women engineers Boat and ship designers Female United States Navy civilians Merrill High School alumni 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American women