The Chronicle
February 27, 2020
B7
Katherine Johnson, a pioneering NASA
mathematician featured in ‘Hidden Figures,’
dies at 101
BY LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE
NNPA NEWSWIRE CONTRIBUTOR
Katherine Johnson, the
legendary NASA physicist
and mathematician whose
work played a key role
in the early successes of
the U.S. space program,
passed away at 101 years
old on the morning of Feb.
24 in Newport News, Va.
Johnson played a pivotal
role in helping the U.S.
land men on the moon dur
ing the space race in the
1960s and was portrayed
by actress Taraji P. Hen
son in the 2017 film “Hid
den Figures.” The book
by the same name and on
which the film was based
was written by Margot Lee
Shetterly.
With little more than
a pencil and a slide rule,
Johnson calculated the
exact trajectories for the
Apollo 11 landing on the
moon in 1969, and after
Neil Johnson worked in a
world where errors were
fatal.
The lives of three bril
liant African American
women were featured in
the book and subsequent
film. They were Johnson,
Dorothy Vaughan, who
passed in 2008, and Mary
Jackson, who passed in
2005. Vaughan and Jack-
son were from Hamp
ton, Va. and Johnson was
from West Virginia. John
son graduated from West
Virginia State Universi
ty and West Virginia Uni
versity.
Johnson was awarded
the Congressional Gold
Medal on Nov. 8, 2019,
after House Science Com
mittee Chairwoman Eddie
Bernice Johnson passed
legislation to honor her.
“We’re saddened by
the passing of celebrat
ed #HiddenFigures math
ematician Katherine John
son. Today, we celebrate
her 101 years of life and
honor her legacy of ex
cellence that broke down
racial and social barriers,”
tweeted NASA after news
of Johnson’s passing.
In September 1960,
mathematician Katherine
Johnson published NA
SA’s first scientific paper
to name a woman as au
thor. Johnson’s trajectory
calculations were vital to
the U.S. space missions.
“There were no text-
books, so we had to write
them,” Johnson said.
“It is with deep sad
ness that I learned of the
passing of Katherine John
son, a truly brilliant math
ematician and pioneer. She
broke down barriers as one
of the few African Ameri
can women mathemati
cians working at the Flight
Dynamics and Control Di
vision at NASA Langley,”
wrote Congressman Bob
by Scott, who represents
Newport News, Va.
“Her work helped
put the first Americans
in space and send the
Apollo 11 astronauts to
the moon, thereby help
ing the United States win
the Space Race. While I
knew Katherine Johnson
and her family personally
for many years, like so
many Americans I never
fully appreciated the work
that she, Dorothy Vaughn,
Mary Jackson, Christine
Darden, and the many oth
er African American wom
en at NASA trailblazed for
so many until their untold
story was revealed in Hid
den Figures. Mrs. Johnson
was a true American hero,
and we were so proud to
have her call Hampton
Roads home. I want to
Submitted photo
Former NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson is
seen after President Barack Obama presented her with
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Tuesday, Nov.
24, 2015, during a ceremony in the East Room of the
White House in Washington, D. C.
send my deepest condo
lences to her family and
friends, and to everyone
who was inspired by her
remarkable life and work,”
Rep. Scott added.
“Today we mourn the
loss of an American hero
and a pioneer for women
and African Americans in
STEM fields. Katherine
Johnson played a pivotal
role in the outcome of the
space race during her 35-
year career at NASA and
its predecessor, NACA.
Without her accomplish
ments and those of her fel
low Hidden Figures, which
went largely unrecognized
until the last decade, the
outcome of the Space Race
may have been quite dif
ferent. Her achievements
and impacts on our coun
try are great and her loss
will be felt by many. I send
my heartfelt condolences
to her loved ones and col
leagues,” NASA said in a
statement. •
“We’ve lost an icon
and brilliant mathemati
cian with the passing of
Katherine Johnson. A bar
rier breaker and inspiration
for women of color every
where, Katherine’s leg
endary work with NASA
will forever leave a mark
on our history. My heart
goes out to her family and
loved ones,” said Sen. Ka
mala Harris (D-CA).
Lauren Victoria Burke
is an independent journal
ist for NNPA and the host
of the podcast BURKE-
FILE. She is also a politi
cal strategist as principal
of Win Digital Media LLC.
She may be contacted
at LBurkeOO 7@gmail.
com and on twitter at @
LVBurke.
TONIGHT II
FREE AND OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY
The MLK Streets Project - “What Does Your MLK Street Look Like?
Film Documentary
I he Enterprise Conference and Event Center
192? S. Martin Iuther King. Jr. Drive
Thursday, February 27.2020
6:00pm
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Community Conversation ini mediately after film presentation
This revealing 45-minute documentary follows ten high school students who travel across the country to observe and record -^^ the conditions of
America’s streets named for the non-violent activist, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After the film, there will be discussions with the audience on their
concerns about the condition of streets and homes in neighborhoods that are on or surround the street that carry the name, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.
This community event is sponsored by The Southeast Neighborhood Association
in partnership with S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation and The
North Carolina League of Conservation Voters - a statewide non partisan
foundation.