Robert McNees
Mathematician and aerospace engineer Mary Jackson was born #OTD in 1921. She worked at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics until it was succeeded by NASA in 1958. Jackson then became the first Black woman to work as a NASA engineer.
Bio: https://www.nasa.gov/content/mary-w-jackson-biography
Image: NASA
Robert McNees
The same year Mary Jackson joined NASA, she co-authored her first report for the agency.
You can view a copy here: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19930085290
Robert McNees
Mary Jackson was of course one of the main characters in "Hidden Figures," where she was played by Janelle Monae.
Here she is, in a photo taken in the 1950s, with other engineers and employees at NACA's Supersonic Pressure Tunnel facility.
Image: NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/4x4-supersonic-pressure-tunnel-staff
Robert McNees
Here is a brief biography of Mary Jackson written for NASA by "Hidden Figures" author Margot Shetterly.
Image: NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/content/mary-w-jackson-biography
Robert McNees
A few years ago, in 2021, NASA named their Washington, D.C. headquarters in honor of Mary Jackson.
Image: NASA
SpaceHistory, etc
SpaceHistory, etc
WesDym
@mcnees In re the supplied alt-text: What she's 'pulling out' is printed or punched tape, which is that computer's output form, to read results of whatever was programmed into it. I don't know enough about computers of this kind to give a better explanation, but I'm certain that what she's holding is computer tape, and most likely reading output information (or pretending to for the photo).
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