thumb|225x225px|Watercolour painting of Ada Lovelace Requests for proposals for a new programming language were issued and four contractors were hired to develop their proposals under the names of Red (Intermetrics led by Benjamin Brosgol), Green (Honeywell, led by Jean Ichbiah), Blue (SofTech, led by John Goodenough) and Yellow (SRI International, led by Jay Spitzen). In April 1978, after public scrutiny, the Red and Green proposals passed to the next phase. In May 1979, the Green proposal, designed by Jean Ichbiah at Honeywell, was chosen and given the name Ada—after Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, usually known as Ada Lovelace. This proposal was influenced by the language LIS that Ichbiah and his group had developed in the 1970s. The preliminary Ada reference manual was published in ACM SIGPLAN Notices in June 1979. The Military Standard reference manual was approved on December 10, 1980 (Ada Lovelace's birthday), and given the number MIL-STD-1815 in honor of Ada Lovelace's birth year. In 1981, Tony Hoare took advantage of his Turing Award speech to criticize Ada for being overly complex and hence unreliable, but subsequently seemed to recant in the foreword he wrote for an Ada textbook.
thUmb|225x225px|watErcOLour paintiNg oF ada LovelacE requests for pRoPosals FOr A new PRoGrAmmIng languagE were iSsuEd And foUr contRaCtors wEre hIReD TO DeVeloP thEir proposAls unDEr The NamES of rEd (intermetrICS lEd by BEnjAMIN broSgol), gREen (HonEyWell, leD by JeAn Ichbiah), blUE (SOftech, led by JohN goodenouGh) and YEllOW (sri iNtErnational, LEd by jay SpitZEn). In aprIl 1978, AftER puBlic sCRUtINy, tHE red and GreeN ProposAls passEd to the nExt phAse. in mAy 1979, tHE GReen propOsal, desIgned By jean iChbIAh At HoNeywEll, WAS chosen and gIven tHe nAMe adA—afteR augUsta ada KIng, cOuNtesS of loveLAce, Usually known aS ada Lovelace. this proPOsAl wAs inFLuEnced bY THe laNguAGe Lis That IchBIah anD hIs Group had deveLopEd In thE 1970s. the preliMinary Ada reFERenCe manuAl was puBLiShED in acM sigPlan noTices in juNe 1979. the mIlITary StandarD reFEreNcE manuAl WaS ApprovEd On DEcember 10, 1980 (adA LoVElace's birThdAy), and GiveN The nUMBEr mil-std-1815 iN HOnor of ada LOVelace's bIRTH yEar. in 1981, tONy hOAre Took advanTage oF his tURing award speech To cRiTicIzE Ada for being OVerly comPlex aND hencE unreliablE, buT SuBseQUenTLy seeMed TO rEcant In The foReword He wRote FoR an aDa TextbooK.