View source for Biography:Katherine Johnson

{{Short description|American NASA mathematician (1918–2020)}}
{{Similar names|Katharine Johnson (disambiguation){{!}}Katharine Johnson}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Katherine Johnson
| image              = Katherine Johnson 1983.jpg
| alt                = Katherine Johnson
| caption            = Johnson in 1983
| birth_name         = Creola Katherine Coleman
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1918|08|26}}
| birth_place        = White Sulphur Springs, West&nbsp;Virginia, U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2020|02|24|1918|08|26}}
| death_place        = Newport News, Virginia, U.S.
| other_names        = Katherine Goble
| education          = [[Organization:West Virginia State University|West Virginia State University]] (BS)
| occupation         = Mathematician
| employer           = {{hlist|[[Organization:National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics|NACA]]|[[Organization:NASA|NASA]] (1953–1986)}}
| known_for          = Calculating trajectories for NASA missions
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|James Goble|1939|1956|end=died}}|{{marriage|Jim Johnson|1959|2019|end=died}}}}
| children           = 3
| awards             = {{unbulleted list|Presidential Medal of Freedom (2015)|Silver Snoopy award (2016)|NASA Group Achievement Award (2016)|Congressional Gold Medal (2019)}}
| website            = {{URL|https://katherinejohnson.net}}
}}
'''Creola Katherine Johnson''' ({{née|'''Coleman'''}}; August 26, 1918{{spaced ndash}}February 24, 2020) was an American mathematician whose calculations of [[Astronomy:Orbital mechanics|orbital mechanics]] as a [[Organization:NASA|NASA]] employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights.<ref name="Smith">*{{Cite web|url = http://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-johnson-the-girl-who-loved-to-count|title = Katherine Johnson: The Girl Who Loved to Count|date = November 24, 2015 |access-date = February 12, 2016 |publisher = [[Organization:NASA|NASA]]|last = Smith|first = Yvette|quote = Her calculations proved as critical to the success of the Apollo Moon landing program and the start of the Space Shuttle program, as they did to those first steps on the country's journey into space.|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190212013908/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-johnson-the-girl-who-loved-to-count/|archive-date = February 12, 2019 |url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fox |first1=Margalit |title=Katherine Johnson Dies at 101; Mathematician Broke Barriers at NASA |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/science/katherine-johnson-dead.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=13 August 2023 |date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> During her 33-year career at NASA and [[Organization:National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics|its predecessor]], she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks. The space agency noted her "historical role as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist".<ref name="off" />

Johnson's work included calculating trajectories, [[Engineering:Launch window|launch window]]s, and emergency return paths for [[Astronomy:Project Mercury|Project Mercury]] spaceflights, including those for astronauts Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and [[Biography:John Glenn|John Glenn]], the first American in orbit, and rendezvous paths for the [[Astronomy:Apollo program|Apollo]] [[Engineering:Apollo Lunar Module|Lunar Module]] and command module on flights to the Moon.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YIDADwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64 |pages=64–65 |title=Apollo 13: A Successful Failure |author=Laura B. Edge |publisher=Millbrook Press |year=2020|isbn=9781541595781 }}</ref> Her calculations were also essential to the beginning of the [[Engineering:Space Shuttle program|Space Shuttle program]], and she worked on plans for [[Astronomy:Exploration of Mars|a mission to Mars]]. She was known as a "human computer" for her tremendous mathematical capability and ability to work with space trajectories with such little technology and recognition at the time.

In 2015, President [[Biography:Barack Obama|Barack Obama]] awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2016, she was presented with the Silver Snoopy Award by NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin and a NASA Group Achievement Award. She was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson as a lead character in the 2016 film ''[[Engineering:Hidden Figures|Hidden Figures]]''. In 2019, Johnson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress.<ref name="nasa.gov">{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/hidden-figures-honored-at-us-capitol-for-congressional-gold-medal |title='Hidden Figures' Honored at U.S. Capitol for Congressional Gold Medal |date=December 10, 2019}}</ref> In 2021, she was inducted posthumously into the National Women's Hall of Fame.<ref name="inquirer.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/womens-half-fame-michelle-obama-20210308.html |title=Michelle Obama, Mia Hamm chosen for Women's Hall of Fame |date=March 8, 2021}}</ref>

==Early life==
Katherine Johnson was born as Creola Katherine Coleman on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, to Joylette Roberta (née Lowe) and Joshua McKinley Coleman.<ref name="NYT">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/science/katherine-johnson-dead.html|title=Katherine Johnson Dies at 101; Mathematician Broke Barriers at NASA|last=Fox|first=Margalit|date=February 25, 2020|page=A1|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224154106/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/science/katherine-johnson-dead.html|archive-date=February 24, 2020|access-date=February 24, 2020|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History">{{Cite web|url = http://www.visionaryproject.org/johnsonkatherine/|title = Katherine Johnson&nbsp;– Oral History|access-date = February 12, 2016|website = National Visionary Leadership Project|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160223212717/http://www.visionaryproject.org/johnsonkatherine/|archive-date = February 23, 2016|url-status = usurped}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EilyDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Joylette+Roberta+Lowe%22&pg=PA8 |title = DK Life Stories Katherine Johnson|isbn = 9781465485953|last1 = Wilkins|first1 = Ebony Joy|date = January 8, 2019| publisher=Penguin }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdagAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Joylette+Roberta+Lowe%22 | title=Who's who in American Education| last1=Cook| first1=Robert Cecil| year=1962}}</ref> She was the youngest of four children.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Shetterly|first1=Margot Lee|title=The Woman the Mercury Astronauts Couldn't Do Without|url=http://nautil.us/issue/43/Heroes/the-woman-the-mercury-astronauts-couldnt-do-without|access-date=December 8, 2016|work=Nautilus|date=December 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204125744/http://nautil.us/issue/43/heroes/the-woman-the-mercury-astronauts-couldnt-do-without|archive-date=December 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Her mother was a teacher and her father was a lumberman, farmer, and handyman. He also worked at the Greenbrier Hotel.<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History" /><ref name="Gutman">{{Cite web|url = http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20151226/west-virginian-of-the-year-katherine-g-johnson|title = West Virginian of the Year: Katherine G. Johnson|date = December 26, 2015|access-date = February 12, 2016|website = Charleston Gazette-Mail|last = Gutman|first = David|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170827135853/http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20151226/west-virginian-of-the-year-katherine-g-johnson|archive-date = August 27, 2017|url-status = live}}</ref>

Johnson showed strong mathematical abilities from an early age. Because Greenbrier County did not offer public schooling for African-American students past the eighth grade, the Colemans arranged for their children to attend high school in Institute, West Virginia. This school was on the campus of [[Organization:West Virginia State University|West Virginia State College]] (WVSC);<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography |title=From Hidden to Modern Figures – Katherine Johnson Biography |last=Shetterly |first=Margot Lee |date=December 1, 2016 |website=NASA |access-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908094437/https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography/ |archive-date=September 8, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Johnson was enrolled when she was ten years old.<ref name="NASA feature">{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-johnson-the-girl-who-loved-to-count |title=Katherine Johnson: The Girl Who Loved to Count |editor=Yvette Smith<!--Not stated--> |date=November 24, 2015 |website=NASA |access-date=March 1, 2017 |quote=Fascinated by numbers and smart to boot, for by the time she was 10 years old, she was a high school freshman&nbsp;– a truly amazing feat in an era when school for African-Americans normally stopped at eighth grade for those who could indulge in that luxury. Katherine skipped several grades to graduate from high school at 14 and from college at 18. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228205427/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-johnson-the-girl-who-loved-to-count/ |archive-date=February 28, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The family split their time between Institute during the school year and White Sulphur Springs in the summer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spacegrant.org/programs/service-award/johnson/|title=Johnson|website=National Space Grant Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=February 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226170728/https://spacegrant.org/programs/service-award/johnson/|archive-date=February 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
After graduating from high school at the age of 14, Johnson matriculated at WVSC, a historically black college.<ref name="NASA bio">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography|title=Katherine Johnson Biography|last=Loff|first=Sarah|date=November 22, 2016|newspaper=NASA|language=en|access-date=February 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908094437/https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography/|archive-date=September 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> She took every course in mathematics offered by the college. Several professors mentored her, including the chemist and mathematician Angie Turner King, who had guided Coleman throughout high school, and W. W. Schieffelin Claytor, the third African-American to receive a [[Social:Doctorate|doctorate]] in mathematics. Claytor added new mathematics courses just for Johnson.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Shetterly|first=Margot Lee|url=https://archive.org/details/hiddenfiguresame0000shet|url-access=registration|title=Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race|date=September 6, 2016|publisher=William Morrow|isbn=978-0-06-236361-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/hiddenfiguresame0000shet/page/24 24]|language=en}}</ref> She graduated ''[[Social:Latin honors|summa cum laude]]'' in 1937, with degrees in mathematics and French, at age 18.<ref name="WVGazetteMail">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151116/GZ01/151119605/1101|title=WV native, NASA mathematician to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom|last=Gutman|first=David|date=November 16, 2015|website=WV Gazette Mail: Charleston Gazette-Mail|access-date=February 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216001223/http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151116/GZ01/151119605/1101|archive-date=February 16, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NASA feature"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/katherine-g-johnson |title=Katherine G. Johnson – Presidential Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2015 |website=West Virginia University |publisher=WVU |access-date=March 1, 2017 |quote=Katherine Johnson graduated from high school at age 14 and from college at 18. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302025622/http://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/katherine-g-johnson |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Johnson was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watchtheyard.com/akas/alpha-kappa-alpha-legos/|title=These Two Famous Alpha Kappa Alpha Members Are Getting Their Own Legos|date=August 15, 2017|website=Watch The Yard|language=en-US|access-date=February 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226171037/https://www.watchtheyard.com/akas/alpha-kappa-alpha-legos/|archive-date=February 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> She took on a teaching job at a black public school in Marion, Virginia.<ref name="NASA bio" /><ref>{{cite news |work=SWVA Today |last=Porter-Nichols |first=Stephanie |date=January 24, 2017 |title=Council honors one-time Marion teacher Katherine Johnson of 'Hidden Figures' |url=http://www.swvatoday.com/news/smyth_county/article_35c83f32-df64-11e6-a8e6-bfcf3ba856af.html |access-date=October 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014092136/https://www.swvatoday.com/news/smyth_county/article_35c83f32-df64-11e6-a8e6-bfcf3ba856af.html |archive-date=October 14, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1939, after marrying her first husband, James Goble, she left her teaching job and enrolled in a graduate math program. She quit at the end of the first session and chose to focus on her family life.<ref name="NASA bio" /> She was the first African-American woman to attend graduate school at [[Organization:West Virginia University|West Virginia University]] in Morgantown, West Virginia. Through WVSC's president, Dr. John W. Davis, she became one of three African-American students,<ref name="NASA bio"/> and the only woman, selected to integrate the graduate school after the 1938 United States Supreme Court ruling in ''Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada'' required States which provided public higher education to white students to provide it to black students as well, either by establishing black colleges and universities or by admitting black students to previously white-only universities.<ref name="Gutman" /><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/305/337/case.html|title = Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada 305 U.S. 337 (1938)|date = 1938|access-date = February 12, 2016|website = Justia US Supreme Court|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160217034207/https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/305/337/case.html|archive-date = February 17, 2016|url-status = live}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Katherine Johnson at NASA, in 1966.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of Johnson sitting at a desk |Johnson working at the Spacecraft Controls Branch of NASA in 1966.]]
Johnson decided on a career as a research mathematician, although this was a difficult field for African Americans and women to enter. The first jobs she found were in teaching. At a family gathering in 1952, a relative mentioned that the [[Organization:National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics|National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics]] (NACA) was hiring mathematicians.<ref name="NASA bio" /> At the [[Organization:Langley Research Center|Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory]], based in Hampton, Virginia, near Langley Field, NACA hired African-American mathematicians as well as whites for their Guidance and Navigation Department. Johnson accepted a job offer from the agency in June 1953.<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History"/>

According to an oral history archived by the National Visionary Leadership Project:

<blockquote>At first she [Johnson] worked in a pool of women performing math calculations. Katherine has referred to the women in the pool as virtual "computers who wore skirts". Their main job was to read the data from the plane's black boxes and carry out other precise mathematical tasks. Then one day, Katherine (and a colleague) were temporarily assigned to help the all-male flight research team. Katherine's knowledge of [[Analytic geometry|analytic geometry]] helped make quick allies of male bosses and colleagues to the extent that, "they forgot to return me to the pool". While the racial and gender barriers were always there, Katherine ignored them. Katherine was assertive, asking to be included in editorial meetings (where no women had gone before). She simply told people she had done the work and that she belonged.<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History"/>
</blockquote>

From 1953 to 1958, Johnson worked as a [[Human computer|computer]],<ref name="Jim Hodges">{{cite web |title=She Was a Computer When Computers Wore Skirts |url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_kjohnson.html |first=Jim |last=Hodges |publisher=NASA |work=Langley Research Center |date=August 26, 2008 |access-date=December 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114124545/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_kjohnson.html |archive-date=November 14, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> analyzing topics such as gust alleviation for aircraft. Originally assigned to the West Area Computers section supervised by mathematician [[Biography:Dorothy Vaughan|Dorothy Vaughan]], Johnson was reassigned to the Guidance and Control Division of Langley's Flight Research Division. It was staffed by white male engineers.<ref name="buckley" /> In keeping with the State of Virginia's racial segregation laws, and federal workplace segregation introduced under President [[Biography:Woodrow Wilson|Woodrow Wilson]] in the early 20th&nbsp;century, Johnson and the other African-American women in the computing pool were required to work, eat, and use restrooms that were separate from those of their white peers. Their office was labeled as "Colored Computers". In an interview with WHRO-TV, Johnson stated that she "didn't feel the segregation at NASA, because everybody there was doing research. You had a mission and you worked on it, and it was important to you to do your job&nbsp;... and play bridge at lunch." She added: "I didn't feel any segregation. I knew it was there, but I didn't feel it."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyvshollywood.com/video/katherine-johnson-interview-nasa/ |title=Katherine Johnson Interview: NASA's Human-Computer |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2016 |website=HistoryvsHollywood.com |publisher=CTF Media |access-date=March 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303050429/http://www.historyvshollywood.com/video/katherine-johnson-interview-nasa/ |archive-date=March 3, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

NACA disbanded the colored computing pool in 1958 when the agency was superseded by NASA, which adopted digital computers. Although the installation was desegregated,<ref name="buckley">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/books/on-being-black-female-math-whizzes-during-the-space-race.html|title=On Being a Black Female Math Whiz During the Space Race|last=Buckley|first=Cara|date=September 6, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=September 6, 2016|page=C1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160906030123/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/books/on-being-black-female-math-whizzes-during-the-space-race.html|archive-date=September 6, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> forms of discrimination were still pervasive. Johnson recalled that era:
[[File:Johnson_NASA_Paper.jpg|thumb|The first NASA report showing Johnson's name as co-author.]]
<blockquote>We needed to be assertive as women in that days&nbsp;– assertive and aggressive&nbsp;– and the degree to which we had to be that way depended on where you were. I had to be. In the early days of NASA women were not allowed to put their names on the reports&nbsp;– no woman in my division had had her name on a report. I was working with Ted Skopinski and he wanted to leave and go to Houston&nbsp;... but Henry Pearson, our supervisor&nbsp;– he was not a fan of women&nbsp;– kept pushing him to finish the report we were working on. Finally, Ted told him, "Katherine should finish the report, she's done most of the work anyway." So Ted left Pearson with no choice; I finished the report and my name went on it, and that was the first time a woman in our division had her name on something.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Warren|first=Wini|url=https://archive.org/details/blackwomenscient00warr|url-access=registration|title=Black Women Scientists in the United States|date=1999|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-33603-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/blackwomenscient00warr/page/n172 143]|language=en}}</ref></blockquote>

From 1958 until her retirement in 1986, Johnson worked as an aerospace technologist, moving during her career to the Spacecraft Controls Branch. She calculated the [[Physics:Trajectory|trajectory]] for the May&nbsp;5, 1961, space flight of Alan Shepard, the first American in space.<ref name="Smith" /> She also calculated the [[Engineering:Launch window|launch window]] for his 1961 [[Astronomy:Project Mercury|Mercury mission]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/71576/black-female-mathematicians-who-sent-astronauts-space|title=The Black Female Mathematicians Who Sent Astronauts to Space|last=Whitney|first=A. K.|access-date=September 10, 2016|date=February 1, 2016<!--|date=2015-->|website=Mental Floss|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705103936/http://mentalfloss.com/article/71576/black-female-mathematicians-who-sent-astronauts-space|archive-date=July 5, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> She plotted backup [[Earth:Navigation|navigation]] [[Chart|chart]]s for [[Astronaut|astronaut]]s in case of electronic failures.<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History"/> When NASA used electronic computers for the first time to calculate [[Biography:John Glenn|John Glenn]]'s orbit around [[Astronomy:Earth|Earth]], officials called on Johnson to verify the computer's numbers; Glenn had asked for her specifically and had refused to fly unless Johnson verified the calculations.<ref name="Smith" /><ref name="MakersBio">{{cite web|title=Makers Profile: Katherine G. Johnson|url=http://www.makers.com/katherine-g-johnson|website=Makers|access-date=May 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105162815/https://www.makers.com/katherine-g-johnson|archive-date=January 5, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sloat">{{Cite web|last=Sloat|first=Sarah|title='Hidden Figures' Gives NASA Mathematicians Long Overdue Movie|publisher=Inverse.com|date=August 15, 2016|access-date =January 15, 2017|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/19694-5-facts-about-katherine-johnson-hidden-figure}}</ref> Biography.com states these were "far more difficult calculations, to account for the gravitational pulls of celestial bodies".<ref name="biography.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/katherine-g-johnson-101016|title=Katherine Johnson Biography|date=October 10, 2016|website=Biography.com|publisher=A&E Television Networks|access-date=January 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831162903/https://www.biography.com/people/katherine-g-johnson-101016|archive-date=August 31, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Rquote |1=left|2=''As a computer, she calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space...John Glenn requested that she personally recheck the calculations...before his flight aboard Friendship 7...on which he became the first American to orbit the Earth.'' 
|3=NASA<ref name="Jim Hodges"/> }}

Author Margot Lee Shetterly stated, "So the astronaut who became a hero, looked to this black woman in the still-segregated South at the time as one of the key parts of making sure his mission would be a success." She added that, in a time where computing was "women's work" and engineering was left to men, "it really does have to do with us over the course of time sort of not valuing that work that was done by women, however necessary, as much as we might. And it has taken history to get a perspective on that."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/25/495179824/hidden-figures-how-black-women-did-the-math-that-put-men-on-the-moon |title='Hidden Figures': How Black Women Did The Math That Put Men on the Moon |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=September 25, 2016 |work=All Things Considered |publisher=NPR |access-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301062054/http://www.npr.org/2016/09/25/495179824/hidden-figures-how-black-women-did-the-math-that-put-men-on-the-moon |archive-date=March 1, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Johnson later worked directly with digital [[Computer|computer]]s. Her ability and reputation for accuracy helped to establish confidence in the new technology.<ref name="biography.com" /> In 1961, her work helped to ensure that Alan Shepard's ''Freedom 7'' Mercury capsule would be found quickly after landing, using the accurate trajectory that had been established.<ref name=businside />

[[File:Katherine Johnson in 2008.jpg|thumb|alt=Johnson seated in a chair looking to her right | Johnson in 2008]]
She also helped to calculate the trajectory for the 1969 Apollo&nbsp;11 flight to the Moon.<ref name="Smith" /><ref name="biography.com" /> During the Moon landing, Johnson was at a meeting in the Pocono Mountains. She and a few others crowded around a small [[Engineering:Television|television]] screen watching the first steps on the Moon.<ref name="Smith" /> In 1970, Johnson worked on the Apollo&nbsp;13 Moon mission. When the mission was aborted, her work on backup procedures and charts helped set a safe path for the crew's return to Earth,<ref name="biography.com" /> creating a one-star observation system that would allow astronauts to determine their location with accuracy. In a 2010 interview, Johnson recalled, "Everybody was concerned about them getting there. We were concerned about them getting back."<ref name=businside>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/katherine-johnson-hidden-figures-nasa-human-computers-2016-8/#johnsons-time-as-a-teacher-hasnt-ever-really-ended-she-strongly-believes-people-need-to-learn-how-to-learn-i-teach-you-what-the-problem-is-how-to-attack-it--if-you-attack-it-properly-youll-get-the-answer-she-said-in-a-2011-interview-28 |title=The unbelievable life of the forgotten genius who turned Americans' space dreams into reality |last=Bartels |first=Meghan |date=August 22, 2016 |website=Business Insider |publisher=Business Insider Inc. |access-date=March 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303122553/http://www.businessinsider.com/katherine-johnson-hidden-figures-nasa-human-computers-2016-8/#johnsons-time-as-a-teacher-hasnt-ever-really-ended-she-strongly-believes-people-need-to-learn-how-to-learn-i-teach-you-what-the-problem-is-how-to-attack-it--if-you-attack-it-properly-youll-get-the-answer-she-said-in-a-2011-interview-28 |archive-date=March 3, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in her career, Johnson worked on the [[Engineering:Space Shuttle program|Space Shuttle program]], the Earth Resources Satellite,<ref name="Smith" /><ref name="biography.com" /> and on plans for a [[Astronomy:Exploration of Mars|mission to Mars]].<ref name="Guglielmi">{{Cite news|last=Guglielmi|first=Jodi|title=Katherine Johnson, Legendary Mathematician and Inspiration for the Upcoming Film Hidden Figures, Turns 98|work=People|date=August 26, 2016|access-date=January 15, 2017|url=http://people.com/movies/katherine-johnson-turns-98/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116183513/http://people.com/movies/katherine-johnson-turns-98/|archive-date=January 16, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Johnson spent her later years encouraging students to enter the fields of [[Engineering:Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics|science, technology, engineering, and mathematics]] (STEM).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/history/2020/02/mathematics-pioneer-katherine-johnson-portrayed-in-hidden-figures-dies-at-101.html|title=Mathematics pioneer Katherine Johnson, portrayed in 'Hidden Figures,' dies at 101|agency=Associated Press|date=February 24, 2020|website=The Oregonian|url-status=live|access-date=February 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225171953/https://www.oregonlive.com/history/2020/02/mathematics-pioneer-katherine-johnson-portrayed-in-hidden-figures-dies-at-101.html|archive-date=February 25, 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Katherine and James Francis Goble had three daughters. The family lived in Newport News, Virginia, from 1953. James died of an inoperable [[Medicine:Brain tumor|brain tumor]] in 1956<ref name="kj">{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Katherine |last2=Hylick |first2=Joylette |last3=Moore |first3=Katherine |title=How a Pioneering Mathematician Held Her Family Together in the Wake of Her Husband's Medical Emergency |url=https://lithub.com/how-a-pioneering-mathematician-held-her-family-together-in-the-wake-of-her-husbans-medical-emergency/ |website=Literary Hub |access-date=May 26, 2021 |date=May 26, 2021}}</ref> and, three years later, Katherine married James A. "Jim" Johnson, a United States Army officer and veteran of the Korean War; the pair were married for 60 years until his death in March 2019 at the age of 93.<ref name="NYT" /><ref name="St Andrews">{{cite web|url=http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Johnson_Katherine.html|title=Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson| author=J. J. O'Connor|author2=E. F. Robertson |date=February 2020|website=School of Mathematics & Statistics University of St Andrews, UK|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622080756/http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Johnson_Katherine.html|archive-date=June 22, 2018|access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Obituary: James A. Johnson |url=https://www.ohsmithandsonfuneralhome.com/obituary/james-johnson |access-date=February 24, 2020|publisher=O.H. Smith & Son Funeral Home}}</ref> Johnson, who had six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, lived in Hampton, Virginia.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fountain|first=Nigel|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/feb/24/katherine-johnson-obituary|title=Katherine Johnson obituary| date=February 24, 2020|work={{wipe|The Guardian}}|access-date=February 26, 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226023231/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/feb/24/katherine-johnson-obituary|archive-date=February 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> She encouraged her grandchildren and students to pursue careers in science and technology.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/node/311241|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220071820/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/node/311241|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2017|title=The Untold History of Women in Science and Technology: Katherine Johnson |website=The White House |access-date=October 22, 2016}}</ref>

She was a member of Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church for 50 years, where she sang as part of the choir.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pres-outlook.org/2017/01/real-life-hidden-figures-mathematician-longtime-presbyterian/|title=Real life 'Hidden Figures' mathematician is longtime Presbyterian| website=The Presbyterian Outlook|first=Gregg|last=Brekke|date=January 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224164531/https://pres-outlook.org/2017/01/real-life-hidden-figures-mathematician-longtime-presbyterian/|archive-date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> She was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Johnson died at a retirement home in Newport News on February 24, 2020, at age 101.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.wtkr.com/news/local-hero-nasa-mathematician-katherine-johnson-dies-at-101|title = Local hero, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson dies at 101|work = WTKR|date = February 24, 2020 |access-date = February 24, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200224193445/https://www.wtkr.com/news/local-hero-nasa-mathematician-katherine-johnson-dies-at-101|archive-date = February 24, 2020 |url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="NYT"/> Following her death, Jim Bridenstine, NASA's administrator, described her as "an American hero" and stated that "her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten."<ref>{{Cite tweet|first=Jim|last=Bridenstine|date=February 24, 2020|user=JimBridenstine|number=1231946829962584065|title=Our @NASA family is sad to learn the news that Katherine Johnson passed away this morning at 101 years old. She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten. https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography}}</ref>

==Legacy and honors==
[[File:Katherine Johnson medal.jpeg|thumb|alt=Johnson seated wearing her Presidential Medal of Freedom | The Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded to Johnson in 2015.]]

Johnson co-authored 26 scientific papers.<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History"/><ref name="NASAHistory">{{cite web|title=Human computers: Katherine G. Johnson|url=http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Katherine_Johnson|work=NASA Cultural Resources (CRGIS)|access-date=August 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719141646/http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Katherine_Johnson|archive-date=July 19, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Her social influence as a pioneer in [[Outline of space science|space science]] and [[Computing|computing]] is demonstrated by the honors she received and her status as a role model for a life in science.<ref name="NASAHistory" /><ref name="SCIENCEYEAR">{{cite web|url=http://www.scienceyear.com/text_only/outthere/black_history/johnson.html|title=Black history... Katherine G Johnson (1918 – retired)"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021221512/http://www.scienceyear.com/text_only/outthere/black_history/johnson.html |archive-date=October 21, 2006|url-status=dead|website=Planet Science|publisher=NESTA}}</ref><ref name="THINKQUEST">{{cite web|url=http://library.thinkquest.org/2907/katherine_johnson.html|title=Katherine G. Johnson: Physicist, Space Scientist, Mathematician|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304132115/http://library.thinkquest.org/2907/katherine_johnson.html |archive-date=March 4, 2009|url-status=dead|website=ThinkQuest Library|publisher=Oracle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Butler-Craig|first=Naia|date=February 27, 2020|title=Perspective {{!}} For 16-year-old black girl nerds, it's good that Katherine Johnson is no longer hidden|language=en-US|newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}}|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/27/16-year-old-black-girl-nerds-its-good-that-katherine-johnson-is-no-longer-hidden/|access-date=December 12, 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Johnson was named West Virginia State College Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 1999. President [[Biography:Barack Obama|Barack Obama]] presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of 17 Americans so honored on November&nbsp;24, 2015. She was cited as a pioneering example of African-American women in [[Engineering:Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics|STEM]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33958124/daily_press/|title=Peninsula Officials: Regions Disaster-Ready|newspaper=Daily Press|location=Newport News, Virginia|date=November 17, 2015|page=A1|via=Newspapers.com|last1=Ketchum|first1=Sarah J.|access-date=July 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717170608/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33958124/daily_press/|archive-date=July 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> President Obama said at the time, "Katherine G. Johnson refused to be limited by society's expectations of her gender and race while expanding the boundaries of humanity's reach."<ref name="NYT" /> NASA noted her "historical role as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist."<ref name="off">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcEDJOWka58 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/WcEDJOWka58 |archive-date=December 20, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Hidden Figures To Modern Figures: Students See SLS Rocket at Michoud|date=November 24, 2016|website=YouTube|publisher=Marshall Space Flight Center|access-date=March 4, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[File:Katherine Johnson at the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.jpg|thumb|alt= Johnson seated on a bench beside a sign in front of the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.| Johnson in front of the Computational Research Facility named for her.]]
Two NASA facilities have been named in her honor. On May&nbsp;5, 2016, a new {{convert|40000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} building was named the "Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility" and formally dedicated at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The facility officially opened its doors on September&nbsp;22, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smTcsodvEqM|title=Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility Ribbon Cutting|date=September 22, 2017|work=NASA Langley Research Center|via=YouTube|access-date=September 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003233559/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smTcsodvEqM|archive-date=October 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The_Root">{{cite news |last=Harriot |first=Michale |title=NASA Dedicates Building To Hidden Figures Heroine Katherine Johnson |publisher=The Root |date=September 24, 2017 |url=http://www.theroot.com/nasa-dedicates-building-to-hidden-figures-heroine-kathe-1818701871 |access-date=September 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924192530/http://www.theroot.com/nasa-dedicates-building-to-hidden-figures-heroine-kathe-1818701871 |archive-date=September 24, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Johnson attended this event, which also marked the 55th anniversary of astronaut Alan Shepard's historic rocket launch and splashdown, a success Johnson helped achieve.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-dedicates-facility-to-mathematician-presidential-medal-winner|title=NASA Dedicates Facility to Mathematician, Presidential Medal Winner|first=Karen|last=Northon|date=April 28, 2016|access-date=August 1, 2016|id=M16-046|publisher=NASA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730102759/http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-dedicates-facility-to-mathematician-presidential-medal-winner/|archive-date=July 30, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> At the ceremony, deputy director Lewin said this about Johnson: "Millions of people around the world watched Shepard's flight, but what they didn't know at the time was that the calculations that got him into space and safely home were done by today's guest of honor, Katherine Johnson". During the event, Johnson also received a Silver Snoopy award; often called the astronaut's award, NASA stated it is given to those "who have made outstanding contributions to flight safety and mission success".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/katherine-johnson-at-nasa-langley-research-center |title=Katherine Johnson at NASA Langley Research Center |date=August 26, 2016 |website=NASA History |publisher=[[Organization:NASA|NASA]] |access-date=March 1, 2017 |last1=Loff |first1=Sarah |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302193912/https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/katherine-johnson-at-nasa-langley-research-center/ |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> NASA renamed the Independent Verification and Validation Facility, in Fairmont, West Virginia, to the [[Organization:Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility|Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility]] on February&nbsp;22, 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cook |first1=Gina |title=NASA Honors 'Hidden Figure' Katherine Johnson |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/NASA-Renames-Facility-to-Honor-Hidden-Figure-Katherine-Johnson-506249461.html |website=NBC4 Washington |date=February 23, 2019 |access-date=February 25, 2019 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224093056/https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/NASA-Renames-Facility-to-Honor-Hidden-Figure-Katherine-Johnson-506249461.html |archive-date=February 24, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Johnson was included on the BBC's list of 100 Women of influence worldwide in 2016.<ref name="list2016">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-38012048|title=BBC 100 Women 2016: Who is on the list?|publisher=BBC News|date=November 21, 2016|access-date=November 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223235036/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-38012048|archive-date=December 23, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2016 video NASA stated, "Her calculations proved as critical to the success of the Apollo Moon landing program and the start of the Space Shuttle program, as they did to those first steps on the country's journey into space."<ref name="Smith" />

Science writer Maia Weinstock developed a prototype Lego for Women of NASA in 2016 and included Johnson; she declined to have her likeness printed on the final product.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/women-nasa-lego-prototype-joins-collection|title="Women of NASA" LEGO Prototype Joins Collection|last1=Brady|first1=Hillary|date=August 27, 2018|publisher=Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum|access-date=October 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009013147/https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/women-nasa-lego-prototype-joins-collection|archive-date=October 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On May&nbsp;12, 2018, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the College of William & Mary.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-wm-commencement-20180516-story.html |title=William and Mary commencement sends graduates out on new adventure |first=Amelia |last=Heymann |work=The Virginia Gazette |date=May 12, 2018 |access-date=June 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613184433/http://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-wm-commencement-20180516-story.html |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In August 2018, West Virginia State University established a STEM scholarship in honor of Johnson and erected a life-size statue of her on campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvstateu.edu/CampusNews/2018/May/West-Virginia-State-University-to-Honor-Katherine.aspx|title=West Virginia State University to Honor Katherine Johnson with Statue, Scholarship|publisher=WVSU|date=May 31, 2018|access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613160530/http://www.wvstateu.edu/CampusNews/2018/May/West-Virginia-State-University-to-Honor-Katherine.aspx|archive-date=June 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Company:Mattel|Mattel]] announced a Barbie doll in Johnson's likeness with a NASA identity badge in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypress.com/entertainment/dp-fea-katherine-johnson-barbie-20180306-story.html|title=Katherine Johnson to be included in Barbie 'Inspiring Women' series|last=Petrini|first=Andi|newspaper=Daily Press|date=March 8, 2018 |access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903013353/http://www.dailypress.com/entertainment/dp-fea-katherine-johnson-barbie-20180306-story.html|archive-date=September 3, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, Johnson was announced as one of the members of the inaugural class of ''Government Executive''{{'s}} Government Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Tom|last1=Shoop|url=https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/08/inaugural-inductees-government-hall-fame-unveiled/159156/|title=Inaugural Inductees Into Government Hall of Fame Unveiled|website=Government Executive|access-date=August 16, 2019|date=August 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815155258/https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/08/inaugural-inductees-government-hall-fame-unveiled/159156/|archive-date=August 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2019, [[Organization:George Mason University|George Mason University]] named the most prominent building on their SciTech campus, the Katherine G. Johnson Hall.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Katherine G. Johnson Hall will be a beacon for Mason students|url=https://www2.gmu.edu/news/2019-06/katherine-g-johnson-hall-will-be-beacon-mason-students|access-date=January 19, 2021|website=George Mason University|language=en}}</ref>

In 2020, Bethel School District, Washington, named its newest school the Katherine G. Johnson Elementary.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 4, 2020|title=Bethel School District names new school after pioneering black NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson|url=https://www.q13fox.com/news/bethel-school-district-names-new-school-after-pioneering-black-nasa-mathematician-katherine-johnson|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Q13 FOX|language=en-US}}</ref>

On November 2, 2020, Fairfax County Public Schools—the largest school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia and 12th largest school division in the United States, and the City of Fairfax, Virginia, announced that the latter's school board had voted to rename its middle school, previously named after Confederate soldier, poet, and musician Sidney Lanier to Katherine Johnson Middle School (KJMS), after 85 percent of its residents voiced their support in favor.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cityoffairfaxschools.org/apps/news/article/1330350 |  title=City of Fairfax School Board Renames Lanier Middle School to Katherine Johnson Middle School}}</ref>

On November 6, 2020, a satellite named after her ([[Engineering:ÑuSat|ÑuSat 15]] or "Katherine", COSPAR 2020-079G) was launched into space. In February 2021, Northrop Grumman named its [[Engineering:Cygnus NG-15|Cygnus NG-15]] spacecraft to supply the [[Astronomy:International Space Station|International Space Station]] the ''SS Katherine Johnson'' in her honor.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/20/969790056/spacecraft-named-for-hidden-figures-mathematician-launches-from-virginia | title = Spacecraft Named For 'Hidden Figures' Mathematician Launches From Virginia | first=  Jason | last= Slotkin | date = February 20, 2021 | access-date = February 21, 2021 | work = NPR }}</ref>
[[File:Sign, Katherine Johnson Global Academy, 1101 Braddish Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21216 (53125638478).jpg|thumb|Sign of the Katherine Johnson Global Academy in Baltimore, Maryland]] 
In 2021, San Juan Unified School District, in Sacramento, California, named its newest school Katherine Johnson Middle School.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 29, 2021|title=Welcome to Catherine Johnson Middle School home of the Astros|url=https://www.sanjuan.edu/johnson|access-date=June 29, 2021|website=San Juan Unified School District|language=en}}</ref> That same year the Baltimore County Public Schools named one of its three new schools the Katherine Johnson Global Academy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-24 |title=Ribbon cutting ceremonies held for new schools |url=https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/ribbon-cutting-ceremonies-held-for-new-schools |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=WMAR 2 News Baltimore |language=en}}</ref>

== Depiction in media ==
The film ''[[Engineering:Hidden Figures|Hidden Figures]]'', released in December 2016, was based on the non-fiction book of the same title by Margot Lee Shetterly, which was published earlier that year. It follows Johnson and other female African-American mathematicians (Mary Jackson and [[Biography:Dorothy Vaughan|Dorothy Vaughan]]) who worked at NASA. Taraji P. Henson plays Johnson in the film.<ref name="Sloat" /> Appearing alongside Henson at the 89th Academy Awards, Johnson received a standing ovation from the audience.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/real-life-subject-hidden-figures-receives-standing-ovation/story?id=45755913 |title=Katherine Johnson, the real-life subject of 'Hidden Figures' receives standing ovation at Oscars |first=Taylor |last=Maple |date=February 26, 2017 |access-date=February 26, 2017 |website=ABC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227050544/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/real-life-subject-hidden-figures-receives-standing-ovation/story?id=45755913 |archive-date=February 27, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In an earlier interview, Johnson offered the following comment about the movie: "It was well done. The three leading ladies did an excellent job portraying us."<ref>{{cite news |last=Khan |first=Amina |date=February 26, 2017 |title=Q&A: Our interview with Katherine G. Johnson, the real-life mathematician who inspired 'Hidden Figures' |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-oscars-2017-89th-academy-awards-q-a-our-interview-with-katherine-g-1488161846-htmlstory.html |work={{wipe|Los Angeles Times}} |location=Los Angeles |access-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301201003/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-oscars-2017-89th-academy-awards-q-a-our-interview-with-katherine-g-1488161846-htmlstory.html |archive-date=March 1, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 2016 episode of the NBC series ''Timeless,'' titled "Space Race", the mathematician is portrayed by Nadine Ellis.<ref>{{cite web |first=Allison |last=Shoemaker |title=Timeless needs to ditch the formula |url=http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/timeless-needs-ditch-formula-246556 |work=The A.V. Club |date=November 29, 2016 |access-date=December 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201123306/http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/timeless-needs-ditch-formula-246556 |archive-date=December 1, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Awards==
[[File:Hidden Figures Award Ceremony (NHQ201612010025).jpg|thumb|alt=Johnson seated in a chair holding a NASA Group Achievement Award flanked by a man and a woman | Johnson receiving a NASA Group Achievement Award]]
* 1971, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986: NASA Langley Research Center Special Achievement award<ref name="HistoryMakers">{{cite web |title=Katherine G. Johnson: Biography |work=The History Makers |url=http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/katherine-g-johnson-42 |date=February 6, 2012 |access-date=January 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108093434/http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/katherine-g-johnson-42 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*1977, NASA Group Achievement Award presented to the Lunar Spacecraft and Operations team&nbsp;– for pioneering work in the field of navigation supporting the spacecraft that orbited and mapped the Moon in preparation for the [[Astronomy:Apollo program|Apollo program]]<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History"/><ref>{{Cite book|last=Davis|first=Marianna W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2eztAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Katherine+Johnson%22+%22Lunar+Spacecraft+and+Operations%22+%221977%22+%22Group+Achievement+Award%22|title=Contributions of Black Women to America: Civil rights, politics, and government, education, medicine, sciences|date=1982|publisher=Kenday Press|pages=462|language=en|oclc=8346862}}</ref>
* 1998, Honorary Doctor of Laws, from [[Organization:Farmingdale State College|SUNY Farmingdale]]<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History" /><ref name="AAR" />
* 1999, West Virginia State College Outstanding Alumnus of the Year<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History"/><ref name="AAR">{{cite web|url=http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/kathrine-g-johnson-value-nasa|title=Katherine Johnson biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001155251/http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/kathrine-g-johnson-value-nasa |archive-date=October 1, 2017|website=African-American Registry|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2006, Honorary Doctor of Science by the [[Organization:Capitol Technology University|Capitol College]], Laurel, Maryland<ref name="Katherine Johnson - Oral History"/><ref name="CC">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.capitol-college.edu/files/file/PDFs/Media%20and%20Communications/06_07%20Capitol%20Chronicle.pdf |title=Live, Learn, Pursue Passion&nbsp;– NASA Mathematician preps Class of 2006 to find its mission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624073537/http://www.capitol-college.edu/files/file/PDFs/Media%20and%20Communications/06_07%20Capitol%20Chronicle.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2010 |magazine=Capitol Chronicle |date=Summer 2006 |publisher=Capitol College}}</ref>
* 2010, Honorary Doctorate of Science from [[Organization:Old Dominion University|Old Dominion University]], Norfolk, Virginia<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.odu.edu/news/2017/1/mlk_observance_previ|title=MLK Event to Feature 'Hidden Figures' Author Margot Lee Shetterly|website=[[Organization:Old Dominion University|Old Dominion University]]|language=en-us|access-date=April 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417222748/https://www.odu.edu/news/2017/1/mlk_observance_previ|archive-date=April 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2014, De Pizan Honor from National Women's History Museum<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dcoutlook.com/2014/10/national-womens-history-museum-presents.html |title=National Women's History Museum Presents de Pizan Honors Gala |website=dcoutlook.com|date=October 19, 2014|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref>
* 2015, NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award<ref>{{cite web |title=Katherine Johnson |url=https://www.ncwit.org/profile/katherine-johnson |work=National Center for Women & Information Technology |date=2015 |access-date=December 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220160118/https://www.ncwit.org/profile/katherine-johnson |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2015, Presidential Medal of Freedom<ref>{{cite web|first1=Phil|last1=Helsel|url=http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/24/obama-honoring-spielberg-streisand-and-more-with-medal-of-freed/21272337/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-sb-bb%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-40526639|title=Obama honoring Spielberg, Streisand and more with medal of freedom|agency=NBC News|website=AOL|date=November 24, 2015|access-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125221354/http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/24/obama-honoring-spielberg-streisand-and-more-with-medal-of-freed/21272337/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-sb-bb%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-40526639|archive-date=November 25, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2016, Silver Snoopy award from Leland Melvin<ref>{{cite web |title=Katherine Johnson at NASA Langley Research Center |url=http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/katherine-johnson-at-nasa-langley-research-center |publisher=NASA |date=September 22, 2016 |access-date=December 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107001046/http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/katherine-johnson-at-nasa-langley-research-center/ |archive-date=November 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2016, [[Organization:Astronomical Society of the Pacific|Astronomical Society of the Pacific]]'s Arthur B.C. Walker II Award<ref>{{cite web |title=Katherine Johnson to receive the ASP's new Arthur B.C. Walker II Award |url=https://www.astrosociety.org/society-news/katherine-johnson-to-receive-the-asps-new-arthur-b-c-walker-ii-award/ |work=[[Organization:Astronomical Society of the Pacific|Astronomical Society of the Pacific]] |date=2016 |access-date=December 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028151951/https://www.astrosociety.org/society-news/katherine-johnson-to-receive-the-asps-new-arthur-b-c-walker-ii-award/ |archive-date=October 28, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 2016, Presidential Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from [[Organization:West Virginia University|West Virginia University]], Morgantown, West Virginia<ref>{{cite web |title=Katherine G. Johnson Presidential Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters |url=http://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/katherine-g-johnson |publisher=West Virginia University |date=September 12, 2016 |access-date=January 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302025622/http://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/katherine-g-johnson |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*On December 1, 2016, Johnson received the Langley West Computing Unit NASA Group Achievement Award at a reception at the Virginia Air and Space Center. Other awardees included her colleagues, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/hidden-figures-premiere-and-award-ceremony|title=Hidden Figures Premiere and Award Ceremony|last=Loff|first=Sarah|date=December 2, 2016|website=NASA|access-date=March 4, 2020}}</ref>
*2017, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Medal of Honor<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dar.org/national-society/media-center/news-releases/126th-continental-congress-daughters-american-revolution|title=126th Continental Congress Daughters of the American Revolution Convene in Washington, D.C.|publisher=Daughters of the American Revolution|access-date=July 18, 2019|date=June 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718072640/https://www.dar.org/national-society/media-center/news-releases/126th-continental-congress-daughters-american-revolution|archive-date=July 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2017 Honorary Doctorate from [[Organization:Spelman College|Spelman College]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spelman.edu/docs/presidents-office/past-honorary-degree-recipients.pdf?sfvrsn=cecf8c50_14|title=Honorary Degree Recipients|publisher=[[Organization:Spelman College|Spelman College]]|access-date=June 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412075423/https://www.spelman.edu/docs/presidents-office/past-honorary-degree-recipients.pdf?sfvrsn=cecf8c50_14|archive-date=April 12, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
* May&nbsp;12, 2018, [[Social:Honorary degree|Honorary]] [[Social:Doctor of Science|Doctorate of Science]] from the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2018/trailblazing-african-american-women-to-be-honored-at-william-mary-commencement.php|title=Trailblazing African-American women to be honored at William & Mary Commencement|publisher=College of William & Mary|date=March 23, 2018|access-date=June 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511235206/https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2018/trailblazing-african-american-women-to-be-honored-at-william-mary-commencement.php|archive-date=May 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ulneupo2H0|title=2018 Honorary Degree: Katherine Johnson|publisher=William & Mary|date=May 12, 2018|access-date=June 15, 2019|via=YouTube|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226123238/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ulneupo2H0|archive-date=December 26, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
* On April&nbsp;29, 2019, the University of Johannesburg and its Faculty of Science conferred Johnson with the degree of ''Philosophiae Doctor Honoris causa'' for her pioneering role at NASA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itweb.co.za/content/LPwQ57lywXLMNgkj|title=UJ honors 'human computer' Katherine Johnson|last=Malinga|first=Sibahle|date=April 29, 2019|website=ITWeb|language=en-ZA|access-date=March 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uj.ac.za:443/newandevents/Pages/UJ-honours-NASA-pioneer-Katherine-Johnson.aspx|title=UJ honors NASA pioneer and African-American icon Katherine Johnson|date=April 29, 2019|website=University of Johannesburg|language=en|access-date=March 4, 2020}}</ref>
*November&nbsp;8, 2019, Congressional Gold Medal<ref name="congress">{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1396?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hr1396%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=1|title=H.R.1396 - Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act|website=Congress.gov|date=November 8, 2019 |access-date=November 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109195154/https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1396%3Fq%3D%257B%2522search%2522:%255B%2522hr1396%2522%255D%257D%26r%3D1%26s%3D1|archive-date=November 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-110819a-hidden-figures-congressional-gold-medal.html|title=NASA's 'hidden figures' to be awarded Congressional Gold Medals|date=November 8, 2019|access-date=February 26, 2020|website=collectSPACE|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109012341/http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-110819a-hidden-figures-congressional-gold-medal.html|archive-date=November 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
*2021, Induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame<ref name="inquirer.com"/>

==See also==
*[[Biography:Annie Easley|Annie Easley]], mathematician
*Kathaleen Land, mathematician
*List of African-American women in STEM fields
*List of West Virginia University alumni
*[[Mathematical Tables Project]], pioneering human computer group
*Timeline of women in science

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Beverly Golemba, ''[https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/crgis/images/c/c7/Golemba.pdf Human Computers: The Women in Aeronautical Research],'' unpublished manuscript 1994, NASA Langley Archives.
* Brigham Narins, ''Notable Scientists: From 1900 to the Present'', Gale Group, 2001, {{ISBN|9780787617547}}.
* {{cite book|last1=Zierdt-Warshaw|first1=Linda|last2=Winkler|first2=Alan|last3=Bernstein|first3=Leonard|title=American Women in Technology: an encyclopedia|date=2000|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=1576070727|oclc=48139041|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/americanwomenint0000zier}}
*{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Katherine |title=Determination of Azimuth Angle at Burnout for Placing a Satellite Over a Selected Earth Position |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19980227091 |website=NTRS-NASA Technical Reports Server |date=September 1960 |publisher=NASA |access-date=October 23, 2020}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Malcom |first1=Shirley |title=Katherine Johnson(1918-2020) |journal=Science |year=2020 |volume=368 |issue=6491 |page=591 |publisher=AAAS |doi=10.1126/science.abc1546 |pmid=32381711 |bibcode=2020Sci...368..591M |s2cid=218552025 |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Shetterly |first1=Margot Lee |title=Obituary: Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) |journal=Nature |date=March 12, 2020 |volume=579, 341 (2020) |doi=10.1038/d41586-020-00749-3 |s2cid=212681354 |doi-access= }}

==External links==
*[https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/katherine-johnson-nasa-mathematician-211312769.html Katherine G. Johnson] Video produced by ''Makers: Women Who Make America''
* [https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-535-7940r9nd42 ''What Matters; Katherine Johnson: NASA Pioneer and "Computer"''] WHRO, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC
*{{Findagrave|207382445}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Katherine}}
[[Category:American computer scientists]]

{{Sourceattribution|Katherine Johnson}}