Frances Northcutt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Northcutt
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Northcutt in 2019
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| Born | August 10, 1943 |
| Other names | Poppy |
| Alma mater | University of Texas University of Houston Law Center |
| Occupation | Engineer, lawyer, stockbroker |
Frances "Poppy" Northcutt, born on August 10, 1943, is an American engineer and lawyer. She started her career as a "computress" for NASA's Apollo program during the exciting Space Race. She made history during the Apollo 8 mission as the first female engineer to work in NASA's Mission Control. Later, Northcutt became a lawyer who focused on women's rights.
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Early Life and Education
Frances Northcutt was born in Many, Louisiana, on August 10, 1943. She grew up in Texas, living in Luling, Texas, and later Dayton, Texas. She went to Dayton High School. After high school, she studied mathematics at the University of Texas.
Career Highlights
Working on the Apollo Program
After finishing college, Northcutt was hired by TRW in 1965. TRW was an aerospace company that worked with NASA in Houston. She started as a "computress" for the new Apollo program.
Six months later, she was promoted to the technical staff. This meant she would be doing engineering work. Northcutt was the first woman to work in this role. The company had to give her pay raises often. This was to make her salary fair compared to her male co-workers. This experience showed her the gender pay gap. It later inspired her to fight for women's rights.
Northcutt worked in Mission Control's Mission Planning and Analysis room. She and her team designed the path for the Apollo 8 crew. This path brought them safely back to Earth from the Moon. She even found ways to use less fuel for the trip. Apollo 8 was the first mission to orbit the Moon. It returned safely to Earth on December 27, 1968.
Northcutt continued to work on NASA missions, like Apollo 13. When the Apollo 13 spacecraft had an exploded oxygen tank, Northcutt and her team worked hard. They found a way to bring the astronauts home safely. The computer program she worked on helped guide the spacecraft. For their efforts, Northcutt and the Mission Operations Team received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Team Award.
Fighting for Women's Rights
While working at TRW, Northcutt joined the company's affirmative action committee. She worked to improve policies for pregnancy leave. As one of the few women in engineering, Northcutt became very active in the women's liberation movement.
She helped organize events like demonstrations and speeches. She worked with the National Organization for Women. In 1974, the mayor of Houston named her the city's first Women's Advocate. In this role, she helped pass laws to improve women's status. She helped women become police officers and firefighters in Houston. She also led a study on equal pay for all city workers.
Northcutt helped increase the number of women on city boards and commissions. She later became the President of the Houston and Texas chapters of the National Organization for Women.
Legal Career
Northcutt went to law school at night while still working. In 1984, she graduated with honors from the University of Houston Law Center. She became a criminal defense lawyer.
Northcutt continued to work as a lawyer. She focused on civil rights. She worked for Jane's Due Process. This group helps pregnant young people. She also worked for the Harris County District Attorney's office. She was the first prosecutor in their Domestic Violence Unit.
See also
In Spanish: Frances Northcutt para niños
