Mary Jackson (engineer)

Mary Jackson (engineer) was an American mathematician and aerospace engineer who became the first black female engineer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and its successor, NASA, at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, for over three decades, contributing to critical research on aerodynamics and supersonic flight. Her career and advocacy for the advancement of women and minorities in science and engineering were later popularized in the book and film Hidden Figures. Jackson's pioneering work helped break down significant racial and gender barriers within the American aerospace industry.

Early life and education

Mary Winston was born on April 9, 1921, in Hampton, Virginia, to Ella and Frank Winston. She graduated with highest honors from the all-black George P. Phenix Training School in 1937. Jackson then earned a dual bachelor's degree in mathematics and physical science from the historically black Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in 1942. Following her graduation, she held several teaching positions in Maryland before returning to Hampton, where she worked as a bookkeeper, married U.S. Army officer Levi Jackson Sr., and started a family.

Career at NACA and NASA

In 1951, Jackson was recruited by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to work as a "human computer" in the segregated West Area Computing unit at the Langley Research Center, under the supervision of fellow mathematician Dorothy Vaughan. After two years in the computing pool, she was offered a temporary assignment working for engineer Kazimierz Czarnecki in the Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. Czarnecki encouraged Jackson to pursue training to become an engineer, a path that required her to take graduate-level courses in mathematics and physics from the University of Virginia, which were held at the then-segregated Hampton High School. After petitioning the City of Hampton for permission to attend the all-white school, she completed the courses and, in 1958, was promoted to become NACA's and later NASA's first black female aerospace engineer. In this role, she conducted complex data analysis for projects like the Mercury program and authored numerous research reports on boundary layer behavior for aircraft and spacecraft.

Advocacy and later work

After achieving senior engineer rank, Jackson chose to shift her focus toward improving opportunities for others. In 1979, she accepted a demotion to take a position as the Federal Women's Program Manager in Langley's Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, and later served as the Affirmative Action Program Manager. In these roles, she worked tirelessly to influence the hiring and promotion of the next generation of female mathematicians, engineers, and scientists at NASA. She advised and mentored countless women and minority employees, helping them navigate the agency's career advancement structures and advocating for their professional development.

Personal life

Jackson was married to Levi Jackson Sr., a Navy sailor who later served in the U.S. Army, and they had two children. She was a lifelong resident of Hampton, Virginia, and was an active member of her community. Jackson was a dedicated volunteer, serving for over thirty years as a Girl Scout troop leader and using her scientific knowledge to inspire young people. She was also a devout member of her local African Methodist Episcopal church.

Legacy and honors

Jackson retired from NASA in 1985. Her story, along with those of colleagues Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan, was brought to widespread public attention through Margot Lee Shetterly's 2016 book Hidden Figures and the subsequent Academy Award-nominated film adaptation. In 2019, she was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. NASA has honored her legacy by naming the headquarters building in Washington, D.C., the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters, and an asteroid, 246247 Maryjackson, bears her name. These honors cement her status as a pivotal figure in the history of American space exploration and the fight for equality in STEM fields.

Category:American aerospace engineers Category:NASA people Category:1921 births Category:2005 deaths