Katherine Johnson

(1918-2020)

Katherine Johnson

(1918-2020)

Boldly broke down racial and gender barriers to

become a pioneering African-American NASA

mathematician, physicist and space scientist.

“Katherine_Johnson” by [Wikimedia.org] is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Education

• Katherine was an excellent mathematician.

• Local public schools did not offer places to African-American students after 8th grade (age 13).

• Her parents enrolled her in a high school outside the county at the age of 11. She had

graduated by age 14.

• Katherine’s university professor inspired her to pursue a career as a research mathematician.

He designed new courses at the university just for her.

• By the age of 18, when most students are just leaving high school, Katherine was graduating

with degrees in both mathematics and French.

Career

• When she first started work at NACA,

women were segregated from males in the

workplace.

• Racial segregation laws also meant that the

African-American women were separated

from their white peers.

• Katherine refused to be limited by these

barriers and confidently told people that

she belonged.

• Her knowledge meant she was an asset to

the research teams and Katherine became

the first female to be included in meetings.

“Katherine_Johnson” by [Wikimedia.org] is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Career

• When NACA was superseded by NASA, the

segregation was removed but still women

were not named on the reports that they

contributed to. Katherine became the first

woman to have her name on a report.

• She worked on calculating flight paths that

involved complicated geometry equations

and quickly became a leader in calculating

trajectory.

• Katherine did most of the calculations for

the flight that took the first American into

space, as well as the first manned mission

to the moon in 1969.

“Apollo_11_Saturn_V_lifting_off_on_July_16,_1969” by [Wikimedia.org] is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Career

• When NASA started to use electronic computers, Katherine checked all the maths.

• She co-authored 26 scientific papers and helped to write the first textbook about space travel.

• In 2016, her story, along with other African-American mathematicians, was portrayed in the

Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures.

“Katherine_Johnson_at_NASA_Langley_Research_Center_in_1980” by [Wikimedia.org] is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Awards

• 6 honorary degrees

• 5 NASA special awards

• 1997 Mathematician of the Year

• 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom – awarded

to people who have made an “especially

meritorious contribution” to the interests of the

USA.

• 2017 Silver Snoopy Award – given by NASA to

those who have “made outstanding contributions

to flight safety and mission success”.

• 2019 – Congressional Gold Medal – given to

citizens "who have performed an achievement

that has an impact on American history and

culture that is likely to be recognized as a major

achievement in the recipient's field long after

the achievement“.

“Katherine_Johnson_medal” by [Wikimedia.org] is licensed under CC BY 2.0