"""I wrote the code and Phil wrote the double- precision part. I tried to anticipate what scaling would be necessary. I reread my code and checked it for bugs. Phil checked it for bugs. I (or Phil) punched up the code on teletype tape and checked that out. The tape was converted automatically to a wire, and the wire cartridge was inserted in the SEAC. We manually set n = 20, crossed our fingers, held our breath, and pushed the button to run the program.
The SEAC computed and computed and computed and computed. Our tension mounted. Finally, the computer started to output the Gaussian abscissas and weights. Numbers purporting to be such started to spew out at the teletype printer. The numbers had the right look and smell about them. We punched in n = 24 and again pushed the “run” button. Again, success. And ditto for even higher values of n.
The staff of the NBS computing lab declared us “Heroes of the SEAC”, a title awarded in those days to programmers whose programs ran on the first try—a rare event—and for some while we had to go around wearing our “medals,” which were drawn freehand in crayon on the back of used teletype paper. (The word “hero” was in parody of the practice in the Soviet Union of declaring persons “Heroes of the Soviet Union” for this and that accomplishment.)"""
