Mrs. Mary Winston Jackson American mathematician and engineer
By Sister Tarpley
Religion Editor
For Mary Winston Jackson, a love of science and a commitment to improving the lives of the people around her were one and the same.
In the 1970s, she helped the youngsters in the science club at Hampton’s King Street Community center build their own wind tunnel and use it to conduct experiments.
“We have to do something like this to get them interested in science,” she said in an article for the local newspaper. “Sometimes they are not aware of the number of Black scientists, and don’t even know of the career opportunities until it is too late.”
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) renames it’s Washington headquarters after Mary Winston Jackson, 1 of ‘Hidden Figures’ women.
Mary Winston Jackson helped pave way for the Black scientist, Saturday, February 27, 2021.
Mary W Jackson is no longer a “hidden figure.” NASA renamed its Washington headquarters after the agency’s first Black female engineer.
The name of Mary Winston Jackson, one of the inspirations for the book “Hidden Figures,” now officially adorns the space agency’s headquarters in Washington, CNN reported.
Members of her family attended the building’s renaming ceremony, along with the acting NASA administrator.
“Jackson worked at NASA for over 30 years, but during her lifetime her contributions were largely overlooked,” acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk said.
“She was passed over for management-level promotions, and, perhaps reflecting on her own path, dedicated herself to ensuring that the next generation of female, and other minority mathematicians, engineers and scientists did not face the barriers that she did.”
Jackson played a key role in the early days of NASA, doing the complex calculations that made space travel possible.
In 2019, she was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Mary Jackson, née Mary Winston, (born April 9, 1921, Hampton, Virginia, U.S.—died February 11, 2005, Hampton), American mathematician and aerospace engineer who in 1958 became the first Black female engineer to work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
She was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia. After graduating from high school with highest honors, she earned a dual degree in mathematics and physical science at the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in 1942.
She worked as a math teacher in Maryland for a year before returning to Hampton. She later married Levi Jackson.
In 1951 she started working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), where she was a member of its West Area Computing unit—the West Computers, comprising Black female mathematicians—and Jackson’s supervisor was Dorothy Vaughan.
The women provided data that were later essential to the early success of the U.S. space program.
At the time, NACA was segregated, with Black employees required to use separate bathrooms and dining facilities.
For Mary Winston Jackson, a love of science and a commitment to improving the lives of the people around her were one and the same. In the 1970s, she helped the youngsters in the science club at Hampton’s King Street Community center build their own wind tunnel and use it to conduct experiments.
“We have to do something like this to get them interested in science,” she said in an article for the local newspaper. “Sometimes they are not aware of the number of Black scientists, and don’t even know of the career opportunities until it is too late.”
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) renames it’s Washington headquarters after Mary Winston Jackson, 1 of ‘Hidden Figures’ women.
Mary Winston Jackson helped pave way for the Black scientist, Saturday, February 27, 2021.
Mary W Jackson is no longer a “hidden figure.” NASA renamed its Washington headquarters after the agency’s first Black female engineer.
The name of Mary Winston Jackson, one of the inspirations for the book “Hidden Figures,” now officially adorns the space agency’s headquarters in Washington, CNN reported.
Members of her family attended the building’s renaming ceremony, along with the acting NASA administrator.
“Jackson worked at NASA for over 30 years, but during her lifetime her contributions were largely overlooked,” acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk said.
“She was passed over for management-level promotions, and, perhaps reflecting on her own path, dedicated herself to ensuring that the next generation of female, and other minority mathematicians, engineers and scientists did not face the barriers that she did.”
Jackson played a key role in the early days of NASA, doing the complex calculations that made space travel possible.
In 2019, she was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Mary Jackson, née Mary Winston, (born April 9, 1921, Hampton, Virginia, U.S.—died February 11, 2005, Hampton), American mathematician and aerospace engineer who in 1958 became the first Black female engineer to work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
She was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia. After graduating from high school with highest honors, she earned a dual degree in mathematics and physical science at the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in 1942.
She worked as a math teacher in Maryland for a year before returning to Hampton. She later married Levi Jackson.
In 1951 she started working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), where she was a member of its West Area Computing unit—the West Computers, comprising Black female mathematicians—and Jackson’s supervisor was Dorothy Vaughan.
The women provided data that were later essential to the early success of the U.S. space program.
At the time, NACA was segregated, with Black employees required to use separate bathrooms and dining facilities.