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 had to be assertive. I had to be aggressive. And I had to know what I was talking about.
I was just doing what I was supposed to do.
The computer was going to do the same thing I did, but it was going to do it faster.
I didn't think about it as being dangerous. I thought about it as being exciting.
I just did my work and went home.
I just wanted to get the job done.
I was just doing my job, and I was doing it well.
I never felt like I was less than anyone else.
I just loved to learn. I loved to do new things.
I was just doing my part.
I just wanted to do a good job.
I just loved to do the math.
I just did what I was supposed to do, and I did it well.
I just wanted to be a part of it.
I just loved to work with numbers.
I just wanted to do my best.
I just loved to solve problems.
I just wanted to contribute.
I just loved to be challenged.
I just wanted to be a part of something big.
Contemporaries of Katherine Johnson
Other Mathematicss born within 50 years of Katherine Johnson (1918–2020).