Katherine Johnson
An American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics were critical to the success of the first U.S. crewed spaceflights.
Most quoted
"We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics."
— from Acceptance Speech, 2015
"The women did what they were told to do. They didn't ask questions or take the task any further. I asked questions. I wanted to know the why. I wanted to know the how, and I wanted to know the when."
— from Interview
"I didn't allow their side-eyes and annoyed looks to intimidate or stop me. I also would persist even if I thought I was being ignored. If I encountered something I didn't understand, I'd just ask."
— from Interview
All quotes by Katherine Johnson (380)
I just did my job. I was good at it. And I knew it.
I was just doing my job. They needed to know where to land, and I told them.
I never felt I was a minority. I felt I was a person.
I loved going to work every day. I loved what I was doing.
The numbers told the story. They always did.
I was just trying to get to the moon. We all were.
I didn't think about the danger. I thought about the math.
There's a difference between a problem and a puzzle. A problem has a solution. A puzzle has many.
I was just doing the work I was hired to do.
I never saw myself as a trailblazer. I just did my job.
I always believed in myself. My parents taught me that.
I just wanted to get the answer right.
I was just part of the team. We all contributed.
I loved the challenge of it. The unknown.
I just put one foot in front of the other and kept going.
I never let anyone tell me I couldn't do something.
The numbers don't lie.
I always tried to do my best.
I just kept asking questions until I got the answers.
I never thought about being famous. I just thought about the work.
Contemporaries of Katherine Johnson
Other Mathematicss born within 50 years of Katherine Johnson (1918–2020).