Raye Montague facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raye Montague
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| Born |
Raye Jean Jordan
January 21, 1935 Little Rock, Arkansas, US
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| Died | October 10, 2018 (aged 83) Little Rock, Arkansas, US
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| Occupation | Naval engineer |
Raye Jean Montague was a brilliant American engineer. She made history by creating the first computer design for a U.S. Navy ship. She was also the first woman to manage ship programs for the Navy. Raye Montague was born on January 21, 1935, and passed away on October 10, 2018.
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Early Life and Inspiration
Raye Jordan was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on January 21, 1935. Her parents were Rayford and Flossie Graves Jordan. When she was young, Raye saw a small submarine on display in Little Rock. This experience truly inspired her to become an engineer.
She remembered, "My grandfather took me to see that submarine. I even got to go down a small ladder inside it. It was like a tin can! That was my first look at ships. You never know what might inspire someone."
Education Journey
Raye graduated from Merrill High School in 1952. She then went to Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical & Normal College, which is now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She earned a bachelor's degree in business in 1956. At that time, the engineering program at the University of Arkansas did not accept African-American students.
In 1956, Raye Montague started working for the United States Navy in Washington, D.C.. She began as a clerk typist. She sat near a large computer called a UNIVAC I and watched the engineers use it. One day, when all the engineers were sick, Raye stepped in and ran the machine herself!
She decided to learn more about computers. She took computer programming classes at night while still working and gaining experience. Raye became a computer systems analyst at the Naval Ship Engineering Center. Later, she held important roles like program director for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and head of the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program.
Designing Ships with Computers
In 1971, Raye's department was given a big challenge: they had only one month to create a computer design for a ship. Raye worked quickly, changing existing computer systems. She produced the first design for the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in about 19 hours! This was an amazing achievement. She became the first person to design a ship using a computer system.
After this, Raye also worked on designs for other important ships. These included the Seawolf-class submarine and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. Raye Montague retired from her impressive career in 1990.
She passed away on October 10, 2018, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Awards and Recognition
Raye Montague received many awards for her groundbreaking work:
- Meritorious Civilian Service Award (US Navy, 1972)
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers Achievement Award (1978)
- National Computer Graphics Association Award for the Advancement of Computer Graphics (1988)
- Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame (2018)
