Katherine Coleman Johnson was born in 1918 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. She was an African American mathematician who was later employed for more than thirty-three years as a NASA scientist. Katherine was born to two loving parents, Joshua and Joylete Coleman. Her mother was a math educator. This is believed to be the start of Katherine’s affection for mathematics. Katherine graduated high school at the age of fourteen and immediately began her college career.
During her time in college, her professors boasted that she had taken every single math course offered by the school; and some were added solely for her to attend. She also was a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Mathematics and in French, becoming the first African American woman to graduate from West Virginia State University. After graduating college, Katherine became an engineer, but her first employment role was teaching. It was during a family gathering when a relative mentioned the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was hiring mathematicians regardless of race. Katherine applied to NACA and she was given her first major job as a research mathematician at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.
Katherine was originally denied the opportunity to be employed by NASA due to her race. After she was able to produce calculations that were more accurate than her white colleagues, she was asked to become part of the NASA flight team. She was the first African American woman to successfully calculate the NASA orbital mechanics for the 1961 U.S. flight into space. Katherine used Euler’s method to calculate the trajectory from the earth to the moon. Because her calculations were one hundred percent accurate, Katherine was asked to complete the calculations for future missions. Katherine continued to thrive in her career with NASA and her mathematical skills were on full display.
Due to her outstanding mathematical skills, Katherine was known as a human computer. She was able to master calculations with very little, if any, technological assistance. Her calculations were an integral part of NASA’s success in regards to human flight safety and mission tests. From 1958 until 1986 she worked as an aerospace technologist. Her accuracy and precision with numbers also aided in the Apollo 13 Moon mission, and many orbital flights thereafter, including a mission to Mars.
Years later she continued to gain traction for her impeccable math skills and this time on the big screen. In 2016 the motion picture Hidden Figures premiered and instantly became a success. She became a household name and a role model for younger girls aspiring to become engineers. She was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by president Barack Obama. This prestigious medal came years later after receiving the Silver Snoopy Award and the NASA Group Achievement Award.
Upon her retirement she spent time with her loving husband and three daughters. After losing her first husband she later married James “Jim” Johnson, an officer in the Army and a veteran from the Korean War. She passed in February 2020; however, her legacy continues to live on. She was the co-writer of twenty-six scientific papers, and in November 2020, a satellite named in her honor was launched into space. Her life and legacy continue to be a source of inspiration and perseverance for many young women. Her colleagues spoke of her as a “true American hero” and a trailblazer for her work and her reputation. Katherine Johnson was the epitome of class, resilience and unwavering determination.
