The Monroe Science Center is honoring Black History Month by highlighting notable African American figures in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Our first featured figure is Katherine Johnson.

Katherine Johnson was one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist. Like Dr. Christine Mann Darden, whom the Monroe Science Center is named after, Johnson was referred to as a "human computer" since mathematical problems were solved manually with pencil and paper before the invention of computers that could handle complex calculations. Both Katherine Johnson and Dr. Darden were featured in the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.

Johnson was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. From an early age, she demonstrated exceptional mathematical abilities. Like Dr. Darden, Johnson's mother was a teacher who ensured her children had access to learning opportunities. Johnson was enrolled in high school at just 10 years old, and her strong mathematical skills would shape her future as the legendary figure we recognize today.

Johnson pursued a career as a research mathematician, which was challenging for women and African Americans during her time. In 1952, she applied to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and accepted a job offer from the agency during the summer of 1953. Initially, she worked with a group of women performing mathematical calculations. Their primary responsibility was to analyze data from planes' black boxes and carry out other precise mathematical tasks. Johnson's expertise in analytic geometry helped her quickly gain the respect of her male colleagues. Despite the racial and gender barriers she faced, Johnson was assertive, advocating to be included in editorial meetings that men had exclusively attended. She made it clear that she had contributed to the work and belonged in those discussions.

From 1958 to her retirement in 1986, Johnson worked as an aerospace technologist and later moved into the Spacecraft Controls Branch. She famously calculated the trajectory for the May 5, 1961, space flight of astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space. Johnson also determined the launch window for Shepard's Mercury mission. When NASA began using computers to calculate John Glenn's orbit around Earth, officials specifically asked Johnson to verify the computer's calculations. Glenn insisted on her involvement, refusing to fly until she confirmed the accuracy of the data.

As author Margot Lee Shetterly noted, "The astronaut who became a hero looked to this black woman in the still-segregated South as one of the key parts of ensuring his mission would be a success."

Johnson co-authored 26 scientific papers and received numerous awards and honors throughout her career. Many schools, institutions, and buildings have been named in her honor.

Katherine Johnson helped pave the way for other African American women, like Dr. Darden, to push the boundaries of racial and gender roles and show the world that if you do the work, you too can reach the stars.