Katherine Johnson - Mathematician

KATHERINE JOHNSON Mathematician 1918 – 2020

Artwork by Rory, exhibited at Channing Arts Exhibition

Katherine Johnson, (1918-2020), is a role model today because she combined mathematical talent, curiosity and determination with the courage to challenge racial and gender barriers. Her work helped make human spaceflight possible, while her achievements showed generations of women and Black students that they belong in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Johnson succeeded in an institution and society where Black women faced serious discrimination. She asked questions, insisted on understanding the work and earned the confidence of astronauts and engineers through consistently accurate calculations.

Her contributions were eventually recognized with honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2019. Her story also reached a wider audience through the book and film Hidden Figures

Exceptionally gifted at mathematics, Katherine graduated from high school at 14 and earned degrees in mathematics and French at 18. Johnson joined NASA in 1953, where she initially worked as a "human computer", performing complex calculations by hand in the segregated West Computing section.

Achievements:

• Calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard's flight, which made him the first American in space.

• Verified electronic computer calculations for John Glenn's Friendship 7 mission. Glenn trusted her work so much that he reportedly said, "If she says they're good, then I'm ready to go

• Calculated trajectories for Apollo 11 and produced back-up navigation information used by astronauts.

• Later worked on the Space Shuttle, Earth satellite projects and plans for a mission

   to Mars.

• Contributed research that helped Apollo 13 return safely to Earth after its mission was aborted

Quotes:

"Like what you do, and then you will do your best."

Katherine Johnson Source: NASA

“My problem was to answer questions, and I did that to the best of my ability at all times."

Katherine Johnson Source: NASA