Dorothy Vaughan

Dorothy Johnson (Vaughan) was born in Kansas City, MO.

Dorothy Johnson (Vaughan) moved with her family to Morgantown, WV.

Dorothy Johnson (Vaughan) graduated valedictorian from Beechurst High School in Morgantown, WV, and received a scholarship through the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church to attend Wilberforce University in Ohio.

Dorothy Vaughan, now married to Howard Vaughan, became a mathematician at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics's (NACA) Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (now Langley Research Center) in Hampton, Virginia. She was assigned to the segregated West Area Computing unit.

Dorothy Vaughan became the first Black supervisor at NACA.

NACA became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and integrated its facilities and work units. Dorothy Vaughan was assigned to the Analysis and Computation Division, where she made key computing contributions to the Scout Launch Vehicle Program, part of the early space program.

Other events that happened on or around 1958

Dorothy Vaughan retired from NASA.

Dorothy Vaughan died in Hampton, VA, at age 98.

Margot Lee Shetterly's book Hidden Figures was released, detailing the important contributions Black women made to NASA's early space program. Later that year, the book was made into a major motion picture.