Earlham College to rename science and technology complex in honor of Margaret Hamilton ’58 

Earlham College will rename its Center for Science and Technology next year in honor of Margaret Hamilton ’58, the pioneering computer scientist and systems engineer whose work helped make NASA’s Apollo moon landings possible and helped establish software engineering as a foundational discipline of modern technology. 

The Earlham College Board of Trustees approved the renaming of the building to the Margaret Hamilton ’58 Center for Science and Technology during its October 2026 business meeting, with the support of Hamilton’s family. A building dedication is planned for spring 2027, with additional details to come. The gathering will bring together Earlham students, faculty, staff, local leaders from Richmond and Wayne County, and members of Hamilton’s family to recognize her extraordinary contributions and enduring connection to the College. 

“Margaret Hamilton helped shape a field that now touches virtually every aspect of modern life,” said Earlham President Paul Sniegowski. “She did so in a male-dominated field where women had little voice or opportunity, helping break barriers and redefine what was possible. 

“At Earlham, we want every student to see in Margaret a model of intellectual courage, curiosity, and determination,” Sniegowski said. “Naming our Center for Science and Technology in her honor connects her extraordinary legacy to the next generation of people who will use science, mathematics, and computing to address the world’s most consequential challenges.”

Hamilton graduated from Earlham with a degree in mathematics and a minor in philosophy. She went on to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Instrumentation Laboratory, where she led the team responsible for developing the in-flight software for NASA’s Apollo missions. Her work was critical to Apollo 11’s historic lunar landing and helped establish new approaches to software reliability. Hamilton is widely credited with coining the term “software engineering,” helping define a discipline that would become essential to computing and technology worldwide. 

Hamilton later founded two companies, including Hamilton Technologies, Inc., and continued her pioneering work in software development. Her many honors included NASA’s Exceptional Space Act Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented in 2016 by former President Barack Obama. She also was featured in LEGO’s Women of NASA set, introducing her story to new generations and celebrating the contributions of women to space exploration and scientific discovery.Long before the world came to know Margaret Hamilton as a pioneering computer scientist, she was known to her Earlham classmates and friends as Bunny,” said Kim Tanner ’90, vice president for institutional advancement.

“Margaret was an extraordinary alumna, and Earlham has long taken great pride in her remarkable accomplishments. We had the privilege of recognizing her with our Outstanding Alumni Award in 2009 and honoring her with an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 2025. Naming the Center for Science and Technology in her honor is another meaningful way to celebrate her extraordinary legacy and the special place she will always hold in Earlham’s history.” 

Hamilton died Sept. 30 at age 90. In the weeks since her death, her family has navigated the deeply personal work of grieving while also responding to an extraordinary outpouring of recognition from around the world for her contributions to science and society. 

“Being Margaret Hamilton’s daughter has given me a unique perspective on her remarkable life, and the outpouring of recognition since her death has been both humbling and extraordinary,” said Lauren Hamilton. “We are grateful that Earlham is honoring her in this way. I know my mother would have been so happy and deeply touched to know that the College thought so highly of her that it chose to name this building in her honor. Earlham was an important part of her life, and it means a great deal to our family to see that connection recognized in such a lasting way.” 

The Center for Science and Technology opened in 2015 and is a hub for teaching and learning in disciplines closely connected to Hamilton’s legacy, including computer science, physics, engineering, and mathematics.

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About Earlham College 

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.