Vaughan, Dorothy
1910-2008 · Contribution: 1949-1971
Electronic computing and FORTRAN programming at NACA/NASA Langley; taught herself and her staff FORTRAN to prepare the center's transition from human to machine computing; headed the programming section of the Analysis and Computation Division and contributed to the Scout Launch Vehicle Program
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
First African-American woman to supervise a staff unit at NACA/NASA (acting head of West Area Computers, 1949); a pioneer of early electronic computing in the U.S. space program. Featured in 'Hidden Figures'.
Life & background
African-American mathematician and 'human computer' born Sept 20, 1910 in Kansas City, MO; raised in West Virginia. Joined NACA Langley in 1943; 28-year career. Died Nov 10, 2008.
Sources
- NASA; 'Hidden Figures' (M. L. Shetterly, 2016)
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