Dr. Mae C. Jemison was born on Oct. 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama; although she considers Chicago, Illinois to be her hometown. Jemison graduated from Morgan Park High School in Chicago in 1973. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University in 1977. In 1981, she received her doctorate’s degree in medicine from Cornell University.
In October of 1985, Dr. Jemison joined CIGNA Health Plans of California. She was selected for NASA’s astronaut program in June 1987. On Sept. 12, 1992, Dr. Mae C. Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space. She was the science mission specialist on STS-47 Spacelab-J.
Dr. Jemison left NASA in March 1993.
