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NASA Trailblazer: Katherine Johnson

Born in the segregated south of 1918, Katherine Johnson was a trailblazer from day one. Not only was she one of the first Black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools, she went on to become a NASA mathematician—sending astronauts into orbit, around the Earth, and to the moon. As a Black woman in STEM, Katherine pushed boundaries, overcame adversity, and continues to inspire generations of young people to reach for the stars.

Earth Science, Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics

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October 19, 2023

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Katherine Johnson

Official website of the katherine johnson foundation, katherine’s story.

“If I’ve done anything in my life to deserve any of this, it is because I had great parents who taught me simple but powerful lessons that sustained me in the most challenging times.”

– Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Her mother was an educator, and her father was a farmer and a janitor.

Katherine was the apple of her father’s eye. He taught her that she was no better than anyone else, and that no one was better than her. This life lesson became the foundation of Katherine’s resilience and confidence.

Education Can Open Doors

Katherine’s parents were determined that their children must get a college degree and seized every opportunity to put her and her siblings into the best schools available. Katherine excelled, and started high school at just 10 years old.

At West Virginia State College, she met her mentor, mathematics professor Dr. William Claytor. He lit a spark in Katherine by telling her that she would make a good research mathematician and creating a class just for her called Analytic Geometry of Space, which helped prepare her for her future career in space exploration. She graduated from college summa cum laude in 1937, at just 18 years old.

Nearly two decades before the Little Rock Nine, Katherine Johnson was chosen as one of three Black students, and the first Black woman, to integrate West Virginia University and pursue graduate studies. She studied math, but soon left to start a family.

Katherine graduated from West Virginia State in 1937. Here she is with two of her classmates.

Katherine Johnson and her sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. T M  

Katherine's Sorority Life

“i couldn’t wait to get to college to join alpha kappa alpha. i have enjoyed being part of uplifting our community through scholarship programs, mentoring, voter registration, and so much more for more than eighty years. i especially love the camaraderie and the strong network of college-educated, highly motivated black women.”.

Katherine’s high school math teacher inspired her to join Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. T M , which remained a constant in her life for more than 80 years.

She brought her gifts as a musician to AKA. She was the founder of the Lambda Omega chapter chorale and served as its director. She was also chapter president twice.

Katherine celebrated her 99th birthday with a cake that was out of this world.

“She was able to identify the potential in someone and then work with you to foster your talent and make you feel confident. The way she gave suggestions made you know that you could reach for the stars.”

– Maggie Macklin, Katherine’s Sorority Sister and Mentee

On her 99 th birthday, her sorors threw her a “PARTY OF THE NINES ” with representatives from The National Pan-Hellenic Council, colloquially known as “The Divine Nine,” in attendance. Each one presented her with a pink rose and gift. The day was spent singing songs, sharing mathematical facts, and celebrating Katherine.

Katherine in Her Community

Katherine and her family went to church every Sunday. She used to quiz her daughters and have them count everyone in attendance. Katherine was very involved in the church; especially the choir, because of how much she loved music and her skills at the piano.

An educator at heart, Katherine always wanted children to do their best at what they are interested in. She did not try and push someone towards a particular path or answer, but encouraged them to do the best that they can do and expand their minds with as much information as possible. She would frequently tutor students, teach neighborhood children how to play piano, and mentor her sorority sisters.

Katherine was a West Virginia native who grew up in White Sulphur Springs.

Katherine and Jim Johnson loved their life together.

Falling in Love

At Katherine’s first teaching job, she met James Goble. She called him Jimmie , but his friends and family called him “Snook.” He was one of 13 children, and the entire family loved music—just like Katherine. The two were married in November 1939 and had three daughters together. Jimmie died in December 1956, after a two-year illness. Katherine and Jimmie had done their best to hide his illness from the girls, and the family was devastated by the loss. Katherine’s resilience helped guide the family out of this tough time.

“When school resumed in January, I told the principal that the girls were not to get any pity or special treatment in the days ahead. I wanted our daughters to understand that sometimes life hurts, but we have to keep moving forward.”

She met her second husband, Captain James “ Jim” Johnson, years later at choir practice, and the two married in a small ceremony at her home. He lovingly called her “Kid,” even though he was younger than her.

Katherine’s Daughters

Katherine and Jimmie had three daughters:

Joylette , the eldest, inherited Katherine’s demeanor and shared a passion for music, particularly the piano, and math, of course. Growing up, she did not understand the gravity of Katherine’s contributions in the Space Race until her mother’s story appeared in the NY Amsterdam News in 1961, which even the family did not see until many years later. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and worked as a NASA mathematician.

Connie , the middle child, inherited her mother’s fearlessness. She was the family daredevil; a free spirit who would try anything. Connie was an educator for a number of years and also started her own business, Connie’s Trucking. Connie died suddenly in 2010, before her mother’s achievements were widely recognized.

“Connie was my alter ego, the free spirit of the bunch, the one who was untethered to places and things, who would follow her heart wherever it led. I’m still mad at Connie for leaving us so soon. But I find comfort knowing that she lived each day like it would be her last.”

Kathy , the youngest, inherited Katherine’s name and was always close to her mother and wanted to be in her favor. She was born just 10 days before Connie’s first birthday. The two were often treated as twins, and were in the same class together since the first grade. She also followed in her mother’s footsteps by becoming a teacher and guidance counselor for more than 30 years.

Katherine daughters Connie, Kathy, and Joylette.

Credit: Hugh Talman, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

Life After Fame

“i certainly never expected any glory. i was just doing the job i was hired to do. … i was always proud of my work, but for pete’s sake, i didn’t do anything alone.”.

At 97 years old, Katherine’s achievements became public knowledge. Her life after that was full of admiration and acknowledgements, ranging from the Presidential Medal of Freedom, over a dozen honorary degrees, major buildings and schools named in her honor, three published books, an onstage appearance at the Academy Awards where a movie inspired by her life and that of her colleagues was nominated for three awards, including Best Picture. She also had a multitude of plaques, framed certificates, and boxes of fan mail from all over the world. Throughout it all, she never lost her human touch in sharing her laurels.

Katherine and her husband Jim grew old together. Even in their 90s, when they both lived in an assisted living retirement community, they would ask their aides to turn their wheelchairs together so that they could give each other their traditional fist bump each night before bed. Jim died in 2019.

Remembering Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson died on February 24, 2020, at the age of 101.

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Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)

Former NASA Research Mathematician

West Virginia State College

B.S., Mathematics and French, 1937

Katherine Johnson was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. As a girl, Katherine loved to count . “I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed…anything that could be counted, I did.”

Her father, Joshua Coleman, was determined that his bright little girl would have a chance to meet her potential. He drove his family 120 miles to Institute, West Virginia, where she could continue her education through high school. Katherine’s academic performance proved her father was right: She skipped through grades to graduate from high school at age 14 and college at 18.

From there, she went on to become a well-respected NASA mathematician – a human computer whose calculations helped put American astronauts into space and, ultimately, on the Moon. She was a "computer" at Langley Research Center "when the computer wore a skirt," Katherine once said.

Astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, famously said of Katherine's Project Mercury numbers check, "If she says they're good, then I am ready to go."

Katherine also was an African American trailblazer. In 2015, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom for a pioneering legacy that opened doors for countless women who wanted careers in science and engineering. In 2016, she was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the movie “Hidden Figures.” In 2017, NASA Langley Research Center named its new Computational Research Facility in her honor. And in 2019, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Katherine died Feb. 24, 2020, at her home in Newport News, Virginia, at the age of 101. This tribute was compiled from interviews and biographies.

She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten.

Jim Bridenstine

NASA Administrator

What first sparked your interest in space and science?

In college, Katherine’s math skills drew the attention of a young professor, W.W. Schiefflin Claytor. Katherine credits him with inspiring her to become a research mathematician.

He [Claytor] said, “You'd make a good research mathematician and I'm going to see that you're prepared.”

I said, “Where will I get a job?”

And he said, “That will be your problem.”

And I said, “What do they do?”

And he said, “You'll find out.”

In the back of my mind, I wanted to be a research mathematician.

How did you end up working for the space program?

[While on vacation from a $100-a-month teaching job in 1952] I heard that Langley was looking for Black women computers.

Katherine was hired at Langley, and about five years later became involved in something called the "Space Task Force." That was 1958 when the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

We wrote our own textbook because there was no other text about space. We just started from what we knew. We had to go back to geometry and figure all of this stuff out. Inasmuch as I was in at the beginning, I was one of those lucky people.

I found what I was looking for at Langley. This was what a research mathematician did. I went to work every day for 33 years happy. Never did I get up and say I don't want to go to work.

Do your best. But like it! Like what you do; then you will do your best.

Katherine Johnson

As a human computer, Katherine calculated the trajectory for astronaut Alan Shepard’s 1961 Freedom 7 mission to space – the first spaceflight for an American.

Early on, when they said they wanted the capsule to come down at a certain place, they were trying to compute when it should start. I said, "Let me do it. You tell me when you want it and where you want it to land, and I'll do it backward and tell you when to take off." That was my forte.

Even after NASA had electronic computers, John Glenn requested that Katherine personally recheck the computer calculations before his 1962 Friendship 7 flight – the first American mission to orbit Earth.

You could do much more, much faster on the computer. But when they went to computers, they called over and said, "Tell her to check and see if the computer trajectory they had calculated was correct." So I checked it, and it was correct.

Katherine continued to work at NASA until 1986. Her calculations proved critical to the success of the Apollo Moon landings and the start of the Space Shuttle program.

I didn’t do anything alone but try to go to the root of the question – and succeeded there.

The main thing is I liked what I was doing. I liked work. I like the stars and the stories we were telling. And it was a joy to contribute to the literature that was going to be coming out.

But you know, math is the same. If I gave you that answer last year, it’s the same now. It’s the same.

What's one piece of advice you would give to others interested in a similar career?

Do your best. But like it! Like what you do and then you will do your best. If you don’t like it, shame on you.

What is the key message you want people to take away from your life?

If they just did the hard work that I did – which was my job. I did it every day. I never missed a day. Never stayed home playing sick and stuff. My problem was to answer questions, and I did that to the best of my ability at all times – correct or incorrect. But that’s my theory – do your best all the time.

What was going through your mind at the opening of the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility?

You want my honest answer? I think they’re crazy! [Laughs] I was excited. It was something new. Always like something new. It gives credit to everybody who helped.

How would you feel if the calculations for going to Mars were done in the Katherine Johnson Building?

I’ll be exceedingly honored, greatly honored.

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Katherine Johnson: An American Hero

Pioneering NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson was part of a group of African-American women who worked on critical mathematical calculations in the early days of human spaceflight.

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Katherine Johnson

One of NASA's human 'computers,' Katherine Johnson performed the complex calculations that enabled humans to successfully achieve space flight. Her story is depicted in the 2016 movie 'Hidden Figures.'

(1918-2020)

Who Was Katherine Johnson?

Early years and education.

Johnson was born Katherine Coleman on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. A bright child with a gift for numbers, she breezed through her classes and completed the eighth grade by age 10. Although her town didn’t offer classes for African Americans after that point, her father, Joshua, drove the family 120 miles to Institute, West Virginia, where they lived while she attended high school.

Johnson enrolled at West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University) in Institute, West Virginia, where she encountered a hands-on faculty. One particularly engaged professor was Dr. William W. Schieffelin Claytor, the third African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, who was determined to prepare Johnson to become a research mathematician. At age 18, she graduated summa cum laude with degrees in mathematics and French.

The following year, Johnson became one of three students to desegregate West Virginia University's graduate school in Morgantown. However, she found the environment less welcoming than it had been in Institute, and never completed her program there.

The 'Computer'

Beginning in the late 1930s, Johnson taught math and French at schools in Virginia and West Virginia.

In 1952, Johnson learned that the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was hiring African American women to serve as "computers;" namely, people who performed and checked calculations for technological developments. Johnson applied, and the following year she was accepted for a position at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Johnson not only proved adept at her calculations, she displayed a curiosity and assertiveness that caught her superiors by surprise. "The women did what they were told to do,” she recalled. “They didn’t ask questions or take the task any further. I asked questions; I wanted to know why."

After only two weeks, Johnson was transferred from the African American computing pool to Langley's flight research division, where she talked her way into meetings and earned additional responsibilities. She achieved success despite difficulties at home: In 1956, her husband died of a brain tumor.

NASA Pioneer

In 1958, after NACA was reformulated into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Johnson was among the people charged with determining how to get a human into space and back. The following year she remarried, to decorated Navy and Army officer James A. Johnson.

For Johnson, calculating space flight came down to the basics of geometry: "The early trajectory was a parabola, and it was easy to predict where it would be at any point," she said. "Early on, when they said they wanted the capsule to come down at a certain place, they were trying to compute when it should start. I said, 'Let me do it. You tell me when you want it and where you want it to land, and I'll do it backwards and tell you when to take off .' " As a result, the task of plotting the path for Alan Shepard 's 1961 journey to space, the first in American history, fell on her shoulders.

The next challenge was to send a man in orbit around Earth. This involved far more difficult calculations, to account for the gravitational pulls of celestial bodies, and by then NASA had begun using electronic computers. Yet, the job wasn't considered complete until Johnson was summoned to check the work of the machines, providing the go-ahead to propel John Glenn into successful orbit in 1962.

While the work of electronic computers took on increased importance at NASA, Johnson remained highly valuable for her unwavering accuracy. She performed calculations for the historic 1969 Apollo 11 trip to the moon, and the following year, when Apollo 13 experienced a malfunction in space, her contributions to contingency procedures helped ensure its safe return.

Johnson continued to serve as a key asset for NASA, helping to develop its Space Shuttle program and Earth Resources Satellite, until her retirement in 1986.

'Hidden Figures'

Margot Lee Shetterly's 2016 book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race celebrated the little-known story of Johnson and her fellow African American computers. It was also turned into an Oscar-nominated feature film, Hidden Figures (2016), starring actress Taraji P. Henson as Johnson.

Awards and Legacy

Johnson was honored with an array of awards for her groundbreaking work. Among them are the 1967 NASA Lunar Orbiter Spacecraft and Operations team award, and the National Technical Association’s designation as its 1997 Mathematician of the Year. Additionally, she earned honorary degrees from SUNY Farmingdale, Maryland's Capitol College, Virginia's Old Dominion University and West Virginia University.

In November 2015, President Barack Obama presented Johnson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Margot Lee Shetterly's 2016 book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race celebrated the little-known story of Johnson and her fellow African American computers. It was also turned into an Oscar-nominated feature film, Hidden Figures (2016), starring actress Taraji P. Henson as Johnson.

A year later, in September 2017, 99-year-old Johnson was honored by NASA, with the dedication of a new research building which is named after her — the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility. Johnson, her family and friends were at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building which is part of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

“We’re here to honor the legacy of one of the most admired and inspirational people ever associated with NASA,” Langley Director David Bowles said in a press release . “I can’t imagine a better tribute to Mrs. Johnson’s character and accomplishments than this building that will bear her name.”

Johnson's humble response to a building named after her was said with a laugh: “You want my honest answer? I think they’re crazy.”

Her trailblazing contributions were celebrated at the dedication ceremony where Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of Hidden Figures and keynote speaker, said of the " human computers ": “We are living in a present that they willed into existence with their pencils, their slide rules, their mechanical calculating machines — and, of course, their brilliant minds."

She said to Johnson: "Your work changed our history and your history has changed our future."

When asked to give her advice to NASA employees who will follow in her footsteps and work in the new building named after her, Johnson simply said: “Like what you do and then you will do your best.”

Spouse and Children

In 1939, Johnson married James Francis Goble, with whom she had three daughters: Joylette, Katherine and Constance.

Johnson passed away on February 24, 2020. She was 101 years old.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Katherine Johnson
• Birth Year: 1918
• Birth date: August 26, 1918
• Birth State: West Virginia
• Birth City: White Sulfur Springs
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: One of NASA's human 'computers,' Katherine Johnson performed the complex calculations that enabled humans to successfully achieve space flight. Her story is depicted in the 2016 movie 'Hidden Figures.'
• Space Exploration
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• West Virginia University
• West Virginia State College
• Death Year: 2020
• Death date: February 24, 2020

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Katherine Johnson Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/scientists/katherine-g-johnson
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: January 11, 2021
• Original Published Date: October 10, 2016
• I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed ... anything that could be counted, I did.
• The women did what they were told to do. They didn’t ask questions or take the task any further. I asked questions; I wanted to know why. They got used to me asking questions and being the only woman there.
• Everything is physics and math.
• You are no better than anyone else, and no one is better than you.
• Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.

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Who was katherine johnson (grades k-4), nasa stem team, what was katherine johnson’s early life like, what did she do after college, what did she do for nasa, what did she do after nasa, how long did katherine johnson live, things to know, more about katherine johnson.

This article is for students grades K-4.

Katherine Johnson loved math. Early in her career, she was called a “computer.” She helped NASA put an astronaut into orbit around Earth. And then she helped put a man on the Moon.

As a young girl, Katherine loved to count. She counted everything. She would count the number of steps she took to the road. She counted the steps into church. She even counted the forks and plates when she washed the dishes.

Katherine loved to learn. She loved learning math the most. Katherine went through school quickly. She started high school when she was just 10 years old!

When she was 15, Katherine began college. She took classes to become a mathematician. That is someone who is an expert in math. She learned how to solve big problems by using math, especially geometry. Geometry is a kind of math that uses lines, shapes and angles. Katherine studied hard. She graduated from college when she was 18.

After college, Katherine became a teacher. She taught school until she got married and had children. When her husband became very sick, she started teaching again to support her family.

When Katherine was 34, she heard that NACA (later called NASA) was hiring African American women to solve math problems. These workers were called “computers.” Katherine applied for one of the jobs, but the jobs were already taken. Still, she did not give up. She applied again the next year, and this time NACA hired her. She worked with a large group of women who were all computers like she was. 

But Katherine was different from the other human computers. She asked a lot of questions. She wanted to learn more about her work and about NASA. So she started going to meetings. Before Katherine, only men attended these meetings. She changed that! She learned so much that she left her job as a computer. She became a team member who worked on different space projects for NASA.

In 1962, the United States decided to send people to the Moon. That was big news. Getting to and from the Moon would take a lot of work. As the U.S. space agency, NASA would have to solve many, many problems. So NASA created large teams to solve them.

Katherine studied how to use geometry for space travel. She figured out the paths for the spacecraft to orbit (go around) Earth and to land on the Moon. NASA used Katherine’s math, and it worked! NASA sent astronauts into orbit around Earth. Later, her math helped send astronauts to the Moon and back. NASA could not have done these things without Katherine Johnson and her love for math!

Katherine Johnson worked for NASA for more than 30 years. She retired in 1986. During retirement, she enjoyed traveling, playing card games, and spending time with her family and friends. She also liked to talk to students about school. She encouraged students to keep studying and to work hard. She told them to learn more about math and science. And she said to never give up on their dreams!

Katherine Johnson was born in 1918 in West Virginia. She died on Feb. 24, 2020. She was 101 years old.

• In the 1950s, there were no computers like we have today. People had to solve hard math problems by themselves. They often used adding machines and rulers. These people were called “computers.” The NACA (NASA) hired women to work as computers.
• Getting to the Moon is not easy. Rockets and spacecraft cannot fly in a straight line to get there, even though it seems like they could.
• Astronaut John Glenn went in orbit in 1962. He was the first American to orbit our planet. Then, NASA’s Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the Moon. He and his crewmates, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, returned to Earth four days later.

Make a Katherine Johnson Paper Doll Video: The Katherine Johnson Legacy Video: Space Station Birthday Greetings to Katherine Johnson Video: Taraji P. Henson Salutes Katherine Johnson 

Read Who Was Katherine Johnson? (Grades 5-8)

• African American Heroes

Katherine Johnson

How this math whiz helped explorers reach new worlds

The stars were always within reach for Katherine Johnson. Using her mathematics skills, she helped NASA send astronauts to the moon and return them safely home. She also overcame racial and gender hurdles that helped make giant leaps for humankind. 

Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia , on August 26, 1918. Math came easy to her, but she worked hard to master geometry and algebra. She started high school when she was just 10 years old (most kids are in fourth or fifth grade when they’re 10!) and college when she was 15. After she graduated with honors at 18, Johnson taught Black students math. She later enrolled in graduate school at West Virginia University to study math but left early to raise a family and return to teaching.

In 1952, when she was 34 years old, she learned about jobs for Black women with mathematics and computing skills at the Langley laboratory at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which would later become NASA. She and the other women worked as “human computers,” figuring out the difficult calculations needed for spaceflight. During her time there, she broke racial barriers, like using the bathroom that was supposed to be for white women only.

One of her biggest accomplishments at NASA was helping calculate the trajectory, or path, of the country’s first human spaceflight in 1961, making sure astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., had a safe trip. A year later she helped figure out John Glenn’s orbit of the planet, another American first. In 1969, she calculated the trajectories of Neil Armstrong’s historic mission to the moon on Apollo 11.

Yet unlike the white male astronauts she helped launch into space, no one knew of the groundbreaking work Johnson and dozens of other Black women did for NASA and space exploration. It wasn’t until the 2016 release of the movie Hidden Figures that these women received widespread recognition.

Johnson died on February 24, 2020, at the age of 101. In her honor, NASA had dedicated the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility at the Langley Research Center to commemorate the hard work she did to help take them to the stars.

Read this next!

African american pioneers of science, black history month, 1963 march on washington.

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January 24, 2017

The Story of NASA’s Real “Hidden Figures”

African-American women working behind the scenes as “human computers” were vital to the Space Race

By Elizabeth Howell & SPACE.com

Mary Jackson was one of the "human computers" portrayed in the film "Hidden Figures."

In the 1960s, Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn and others absorbed the accolades of being the first men in space. Behind the scenes, they were supported by hundreds of unheralded NASA workers, including "human computers" who did the calculations for their orbital trajectories. " Hidden Figures ," a 2016 book by Margot Lee Shetterly and a movie based on the book, celebrates the contributions of some of those workers.

Beginning in 1935, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), a precursor of NASA, hired hundreds of women as computers. The job title designated someone who performed mathematical equations and calculations by hand, according to a  NASA history . The computers worked at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in Virginia.

Human computers were not a new concept. In the late 19th and early 20thcentury,  female “computers” at Harvard University  analyzed star photos to learn more about their basic properties. These women made discoveries still fundamental to astronomy today. For example: Williamina Fleming is best known for classifying stars based on their temperature, and Annie Jump Cannon developed a stellar classification system still used today (from coolest to hottest stars: O, B, A, F, G, K, M.)

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During World War II, the computer pool was expanded. Langley began recruiting African-American women with college degrees to work as computers, according to NASA. However, segregation policies required that these women work in a separate section, called the West Area Computers—although computing sections became more integrated after the first several years. 

As the years passed and the center evolved, the West Computers became engineers, (electronic) computer programmers, the first black managers at Langley and trajectory whizzes whose work propelled the first American, John Glenn, into orbit in 1962. 

"Hidden Figures" focuses on three computers, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. Here are brief biographies of these women:

Mary Jackson (1921-2005)

Jackson hailed from Hampton, Virginia. She graduated with high marks from high school and received a bachelor of science degree from the Hampton Institute in Mathematics and Physical Science, according to a  biography posted on NASA's website . She began her career as a schoolteacher, and took on several other jobs before joining NACA.

As a computer with the all-black West Area Computing section, she was involved with wind tunnels and flight experiments. Her job was to extract the relevant data from experiments and flight tests. She also tried to help other women advance in their career, according to the biography, by advising them on what educational opportunities to pursue. 

"She discovered that occasionally it was something as simple as a lack of a couple of courses, or perhaps the location of the individual, or perhaps the assignments given them, and of course, the ever present glass ceiling that most women seemed to encounter," stated the biography.

After 30 years with NACA and NASA (at which point she was an engineer), Jackson decided to become an equal opportunity specialist to help women and minorities. Although described as a behind-the-scenes sort of worker, she helped many people get promoted or become supervisors. She retired from NASA in 1985.

Katherine Johnson (born 1918)

Johnson showed early brilliance in West Virginia schools by being promoted several years ahead of her age,  according to NASA . She attended a high school on the campus of West Virginia State College by age 13, and began attending the college at age 18. After graduating with highest honors, she started work as a schoolteacher in 1937. 

Two years later, when the college chose to integrate its graduate schools, Johnson and two male students were offered spots. She quickly enrolled, but left to have children. In 1953, when she was back in the workforce, Johnson joined the West Area Computing section at Langley. 

She began her career working with data from flight tests, but her life quickly changed after the Soviet Union launched the first satellite in 1957. For example, some of her math equations were used in a lecture series compendium called Notes on Space Technology. These lectures were given by engineers that later formed the Space Task Group, NACA's section on space travel. 

For the Mercury missions, Johnson did trajectory analysis for Shepard's Freedom 7 mission in 1961, and (at John Glenn's request) did the same job for his orbital mission in 1962. Despite Glenn's trajectory being planned by computers, Glenn reportedly wanted Johnson herself to run through the equations to make sure they were safe.

"When asked to name her greatest contribution to space exploration, Katherine Johnson talks about the calculations that helped synch Project Apollo's Lunar Lander with the moon-orbiting Command and Service Module," NASA wrote. "She also worked on the space shuttle and the Earth Resources Satellite, and authored or coauthored 26 research reports." 

Johnson retired from NASA In 1986. At age 97, in 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.

Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008)

Vaughan joined the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in 1943 after beginning her career as a math teacher in Farmville, Virginia. Her job during World War II was a temporary position, but (in part thanks to a new executive order prohibiting discrimination in the defense industry) she was hired on permanently because the laboratory had a wealth of data to process. 

Still, the law required that she and her black colleagues needed to work separately from white female computers, and the first supervisors were white. Vaughan became the first black NACA supervisor in 1949 and made sure that her employees received promotions or pay raises if merited.

Her segregation was ended in 1958 when NACA became NASA, at which point NASA created an analysis and computation division. Vaughan was an expert programmer in FORTRAN, a prominent computer language of the day, and also  contributed to a satellite-launching rocket called Scout  (Solid Controlled Orbital Utility Test). She retired from NASA in 1971.

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How 'Hidden Figures' Came Together: Interview with Author Margot Shetterly

'Hidden Figures' Movie Probes Little-Known Heroes of 1960s NASA

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