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Proud to be part of LJMU,
in partnership with the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust

 

Katherine Johnson

Early Life

Katherine Johnson grew up in West Virginia, USA. Her mother was a teacher and her father a farmer and handyman. Katherine was curious about numbers from an early age and took every course in maths she could at West Virginia State College. She graduated with the highest honours in 1937 and took a job teaching at a Black public school in Virginia. In 1939, Katherine became the first Black woman to study for a postgraduate qualification at West Virginia University. She then took a break from studying and teaching to have children.

Year born: 1918

Research Areas: Rocket Flightpaths, Trajectories, Orbital Mechanics

 

"I loved going to work every single day"