Early Computers Broke so Many Barriers
Working for a new scientific community, NACA (later NASA), in the 1950s was a challenge. Add the challenge of being a woman, African American, and living in the south in the pre-Civil Rights era. And having to prove your scientific and mathematic skills. But Dorothy Vaughan kicked down all these barriers when she joined the agency at NASA’s Langley Research Center in 1943. She started in the “colored” computing center, and moved into a managerial role in 1951, a first for African Americans at the agency. Mary Jackson joined NASA that year, who would work on supersonic pressure tunnels and data testing. Two years later, Katherine Johnson broke more barriers, serving as physicist, scientist, and mathematician. Her calculations were vital for the success and safety of the Mercury program. Their story is honored in books and movies, acknowledging how vital these women were to the NASA community.