By Zaynab Latheef , age 8
- I was born on April 9, 1921, in Hampton, Virginia.
- I graduated from Hampton Institute with a dual degree in mathematics and physical science.
- I became a teacher and helped kids to build their own wind tunnels to conduct experiments.
- In 1951, I began to work at NACA, which later became NASA.
- At NASA, I worked with other African American mathematicians doing mathematical computations, providing vital data to the U.S. space program.
- Later in my career, I worked with engineer Kazimierz Czarnecki and entered a training program to become an engineer at NASA.
- I became the first Black female to help conduct a supersonic pressure tunnel experiment to learn how wind speed affects rockets.
- Due to segregation, I had to get special permission to receive training to become the first Black female engineer at NASA.
- NASA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., is named after me.
- I was an inspiration for the movie Hidden Figures released in 2017.
- I left this world on February 11, 2005.
Answer: Mary W. Jackson
