A pioneer in aeronautical engineering and mathematics, Mary Jackson was part of a select group known as the “human computers,” who worked with NASA during the Space Race of 1953. Born to Ella and Frank Scott Winston in 1921, Jackson proved herself to be an excellent student. She graduated with high honors from George Phoenix High School and a dual degree in Mathematics and Physics from the Hampton Institute. Since schools were still segregated across the south, Jackson became a math teacher at an all-black school and began tutoring high-school and college students, a job she would continue for the rest of her life. Amidst World War II, Jackson’s hometown, Hampton, Virginia, became a nerve center and influenced her decision to move back from Maryland. Once in Hampton, Jackson worked as a receptionist at the King Street USO Club, serving the city’s black population. Jackson would go through three more career changes, ranging from a bookkeeper to an Army secretary, only returning home for the birth of her son.
In 1951, Jackson was recruited by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which was succeeded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. She was a research mathematician (also known as a computer) at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. Within two years, Jackson was offered a job to work for Kazimierz Czarnecki, a Polish aeronautical engineer, in the four by four-foot Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. Jackson was offered many opportunities to conduct hands-on experiments by Czarnecki. Seeing her potential, Czarnecki encouraged Jackson to complete the training necessary to become an engineer. To earn this position, Jackson was required to complete a graduate-level course at the University of Virginia. Since the school was all-white at the time, Jackson had to get special permission from the City of Hampton in order to complete her courses. During this time, female or black engineers were especially rare. But, despite her challenges, Mary Jackson became the first black woman to work as an engineer at NASA in 1958.
Jackson worked as an engineer for NASA for 20 years. In 1958, she authored her first report, Effects of Nose Angle and Mach Number on Transition on Cones at Supersonic Speeds. She continued to author and co-author many other research reports primarily focusing on the behavior of the boundary layer of air around airplanes. As the years went by, Jackson got infuriated with the lack of promotions and the inability of female professionals to move on to higher positions. As a result, she decided to completely change her career in 1979 from engineering to working at Langley's Federal Women’s Program Manager. This was Jackson’s final career: she worked to hire and promote all of NASA’s next female scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. During her time at NASA, Jackson managed to earn the Apollo Group Achievement Award and Langley’s 1976 Volunteer of the Year. She retired from Langley in 1985, but her achievements didn’t stop there. Jackson was a member of the National Technical Association, chairwoman at one of the annual United Way campaigns, and a Girl Scout troop leader for more than three decades. On February 11, 2005, Jackson died from natural causes at age 83, but her legacy continues to live on.
In 2016, the Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures” portrayed the untold stories of Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorthy Vaughan. The movie, which was based on a novel, primarily tells the story of the women’s work on Project Mercury during the Space Race. The film received much recognition and accolades, winning many awards in the entertainment industry. In December 2019, “Hidden Figures” was honored in the U.S. Capitol. Jackson, Johnson, Vaughan, and Dr. Christine Darden were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal along with other women whose efforts went unrecognized. In 2016, it was announced that the Jackson Elementary School, which was formerly named after President Andrew Jackson, would be renamed as Mary W. Jackson Elementary School in honor of the revolutionary aeronautical engineer. Additionally, in June 2020, NASA renamed its DC headquarters after Jackson.
Mary Jackson was able to destroy her obstacles to reach her goal of becoming an engineer, paving the pathway for millions of future female scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. Furthermore, Jackson also believed in the power of service and consistently gave back to her community. Her remarkable legacy at NASA will serve as an inspiration for many young women for generations to come.
“Every time we get to the finish line they move it. Every time.”
"We have to do something like this to get them interested in science. Sometimes they are not aware of the number of black scientists, and don't even know of the career opportunities until it is too late.” - Mary Jackson
Researcher: Pahel Tandel
Writer: Christina Cheriyampurathu
Editor: Shriya Rudrashetty
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