Duba wurin da ke ƙasa sannan ka amsa tambayar daga baya a cikin harshe ɗaya kamar yadda wurin yake:  Passage: Bayan ya koma Birnin New York ya fara horar da shi a matsayin mai fasaha na rediyo kuma ya zama mai sha'awar lissafi. Ya sauke karatu daga Jami'ar Columbia tare da digiri na farko a 1949 da digiri na biyu a 1950, duka a cikin ilmin lissafi, kuma ya shiga IBM a 1950. A cikin shekaru uku na farko, ya yi aiki a kan Kayan Lissafin Lantarki na Zaɓuɓɓuka (SSEC); babban aikinsa na farko shi ne rubuta shirin don lissafin matsayi na wata. A cikin 1953 Backus ya haɓaka harshen Speedcoding, harshen farko na babban matakin da aka kirkira don kwamfutar IBM, don taimakawa wajen haɓaka software don kwamfutar IBM 701. Shirye-shirye yana da matukar wahala a wannan lokacin, kuma a cikin 1954 Backus ya tara ƙungiyar don ayyanawa da haɓaka Fortran don kwamfutar IBM 704. Fortran shine farkon harshen shirye-shiryen matakin farko da aka fara amfani dashi.  Tambaya: Wane irin ilimi yake da shi?
Jami'ar Columbia tare da digiri na farko a 1949 da digiri na biyu a 1950, duka a cikin ilmin lissafi