West Area Computers facts for kids

The West Computers were a group of amazing African American women. They were mathematicians who worked as "human computers." This means they did complex math calculations by hand. They worked at the Langley Research Center. This center was part of NACA. NACA later became NASA.

These women worked from 1943 to 1958. They were part of hundreds of female mathematicians. These women started careers in aviation research. This happened during World War II. Many men joined the war effort. So, organizations hired more women and minorities. By 1946, Langley had about 400 female human computers.

The West Computers got their name because they worked in the West Area of Langley. White mathematicians worked in the East section. They were affected by Jim Crow laws in Virginia. These laws enforced segregation. It was harder for African American women to get hired. They also had to take a chemistry course.

Even though they did the same work, they faced segregation. They had separate work areas, bathrooms, and cafeterias. In 1958, NACA became NASA. At that time, all segregated facilities were removed. This included the West Computing office.

What They Did

The human computers at Langley did many different tasks. Most of their work involved reading and analyzing data. They also plotted data by hand. They worked with engineers. Sometimes they worked in special computing sections.

These computers played a big role in aircraft testing. They also helped with supersonic flight research. And they were key to the early space program. Even though women were as skilled as men, they were called "subprofessionals." Men were called "professionals." This meant women were paid less than men.

A study by Beverly E. Golemba found something interesting. Many women didn't know about the West Computers. But both black and white women said they worked well together. This happened when they were on the same project.

On November 8, 2019, these women received a special award. It was the Congressional Gold Medal. This honored all women who worked as computers, mathematicians, and engineers. They worked at NACA and NASA from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Amazing Women of the West Computers

Many talented women were part of the West Computers. Their work helped shape history.

Dorothy Vaughan

In 1949, Dorothy Vaughan became a supervisor. She was in charge of the West Computers. She was the first African American manager at NASA. Dorothy was a mathematician. She worked at Langley from 1943 until she retired in 1971. She was also an excellent programmer. She used a language called FORTRAN. This language is great for scientific math.

Mary Jackson

Mary Jackson studied how air moves around planes. This is called fluid dynamics. She also worked on flight tests. Her job was to collect important data from experiments. She also conducted many tests.

Katherine Johnson

Mathematician Katherine Johnson joined the group in 1953. In 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is a very high honor. Katherine later moved to the Flight Research Division. She did amazing work there. She calculated the path for astronaut John Glenn's spaceflight. This was for the Project Mercury mission.

Katherine started by working with flight test data. Later, some of her math research was used in lectures. These talks were about space technology. Engineers gave these talks to many students. These engineers later formed the Space Task Group. This group helped with space travel.

The work of Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, and Mary Jackson is famous. It was shown in the 2016 movie Hidden Figures. The movie incorrectly shows NASA as segregated. But segregation actually ended in 1958. This happened when NACA became NASA.

Standing Up Against Segregation

Some West Computers quietly protested segregation. Many small protests happened in the dining room. Black women were not allowed in the white cafeteria.

Miriam Mann often removed signs. These signs said where "colored girls" could sit. Both Katherine Johnson and Mary Winston Jackson refused to use the segregated cafeterias. They ate at their desks instead.

Katherine Johnson also refused to use segregated restrooms. They were far away on the other side of campus. So, she used an unmarked restroom. Katherine also noticed that men on her team went to meetings. They shared important information there. No other women were invited. So, Katherine started attending these meetings too. She asked many questions and joined discussions.

Christine Darden became an engineer. She showed she had all the skills of male engineers. She asked to be moved to the engineering team. She did not want to continue as a computer.

See also

In Spanish: West Area Computers para niños