Katherine Johnson Biography

Brilliant, hidden, and mathematician are three words that describe Katherine Johnson. Many people believe that Katherine Johnson was just a smart woman at NASA, but she was so much more. As a well known mathematician for NASA, Katherine Johnson showed Americans that African American women are just as useful as white women. She left a lasting legacy as an extremely intelligent hidden figure.

Katherine Johnson’s childhood was one of many contributing factors that helped her get to where she is today. Katherine was born on August 26, 1918 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. She was the youngest of four children. Her parents were Joshua and Joylette Coleman. Her father worked as a lumberman, farmer, and handyman at the Greenbrier Hotel, and her mother was a former teacher, who worked all day. Joshua Coleman moved his family 125 miles away, just so Katherine could go to school.
I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to the church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed….anything that could be counted, I did.” (Ott, web) Katherine’s life consisted of many contributions that lead her to where she is today. One of those was her high school principal. Her high school principal, who was a large supporter of her education, told her about new jobs at NASA, and told her to chase her dreams. Katherine also proved that with the right factors along the way, you can do something great.

Katherine impacted NASA in many remarkable way. While at NASA, Katherine calculated the trajectory for the first American in in space, and she coauthored/authored lots of reports. She did the calculations that helped the synch Project Apollo’s Lunar Lander. And she did this remarkably being the only black woman in an almost all-male and white work force. Her critical success started the Space Shuttle program, and lead her to becoming a memorable NASA member. (Britannica.com, web) Image result for katherine johnson presidential medal