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Edition 4 (2013) Winner
Katherine Johnson
キャサリン・ジョンソン
Kyasarin Jonson
Aliases:
Katherine Goble / Creola Katherine Coleman
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1918-08-26 （White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia）
- Died
- 2020-02-24 （Newport News, Virginia） age 101
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Presbyterian Church
- Residence History
- White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia → Institute, West Virginia → Marion, Virginia → Newport News, Virginia → Hampton, Virginia
Career
- Occupations
- human computer, mathematics teacher, computer programmer, NASA scientist
- Active Years
- 1937-1986
- Affiliations
- NACA, NASA, Alpha Kappa Alpha
- Memberships
- Alpha Kappa Alpha, Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church
- Influenced By
- Angie Turner King, W. W. Schieffelin Claytor
- Influenced
- John Glenn, Alan Shepard
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia State University | — | Mathematics and French | Bachelor of Science | 1933-1937 | United States |
| West Virginia University | — | Mathematics | — | 1939 | United States |
West Virginia State University
Mathematics and French
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Period:
1933-1937
Year of Graduation:
1937
Country:
United States
Graduated summa cum laude. High school at age 14, college at age 18.
West Virginia University
Mathematics
Period:
1939
Country:
United States
Enrolled in graduate mathematics program for one session, then quit to focus on family. First African-American woman to attend.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Presidential Medal of Freedom | — | — | President of the United States | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Silver Snoopy award | — | — | NASA | 受賞 |
| 2016 | NASA Group Achievement Award | — | — | NASA | 受賞 |
| 2019 | Congressional Gold Medal | — | — | United States Congress | 受賞 |
Presidential Medal of Freedom
2015
Organization:
President of the United States
Result:
受賞
Silver Snoopy award
2016
Organization:
NASA
Result:
受賞
NASA Group Achievement Award
2016
Organization:
NASA
Result:
受賞
Congressional Gold Medal
2019
Organization:
United States Congress
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Determination of Azimuth Angle at Burnout for Placing a Satellite Over a Selected Earth Position
1960 Scientific paperNASA Technical Note co-authored by Katherine G. Johnson.
orbital mechanics
Adaptations
- Portrayed as lead in film Hidden Figures.
Legacy
Pioneering African-American woman mathematician whose orbital mechanics calculations were critical to U.S. crewed spaceflights. Honored with numerous awards; schools and NASA facilities named after her.
Academic Societies
- Astronomical Society of the Pacific
In Popular Culture
- Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in 2016 film Hidden Figures.
- Featured in Mattel's Inspiring Women Barbie series.
- Included in Lego Women of NASA prototype.
Quotes
-
I didn't feel the segregation at NASA, because everybody there was doing research. You had a mission and you worked on it...
Source: WHRO-TV interview
Trivia
- Lived to 101.
- Had 3 daughters, 6 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren.
- Co-authored 26 scientific papers.
- Received standing ovation at 89th Academy Awards with Hidden Figures.