Grace Hopper

Many geologists, especially field geologists, are familiar with the expression "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission" - especially when trespassing on someone's land to look at their interesting rock outcrops (I first learned of this expression from my first field geology professor, the late Russell Waines of SUNY New Paltz).

Anyway, for reasons I won't explain (you really don't want to know how my mind works), I wanted to determine the source of this quotation and found that it's often attributed to Grace Hopper.  Grace who? you may ask.  I didn't know who she was either (but I'm sure many readers of this blog may have heard of her).  She was an amazing woman.

Go to Wikipedia and read her biography.