Mary Jackson
An American mathematician and aerospace engineer at NASA, who became NASA's first black female engineer.
Most quoted
"We have to do something like this to get them interested in science. Sometimes they are not aware of the number of black scientists, and don't even know of the career opportunities until it is too late."
— from On community outreach, 1970
"I plan to be an engineer at NASA, but I have to take the graduate-level courses in math and physics to qualify, and they're only offered at a segregated high school."
— from Conversation with supervisor, 1958
"I changed my mind about what I wanted to be, and I changed my mind about what I wanted to do, and I changed my mind about what I wanted to be when I grew up."
— from Interview
All quotes by Mary Jackson (397)
We must be relentless in our pursuit of knowledge and opportunity.
At NASA, we proved that talent is universal, even if opportunity is not.
You don't get extraordinary results from ordinary effort.
The only way to know your limits is to push past them.
I measured airflow, but I also helped clear a path.
Precision is a form of respect—for the work, for the team, and for the truth.
They moved the line, so I learned to run faster and jump higher.
A mind focused on solving a problem is a powerful force.
Your right to learn should never be determined by your race or gender.
I worked with numbers so that others could reach for the stars.
The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.
In science, every door you open reveals a hallway of more doors.
I am not an exception. I am an example of what is possible.
The laws of physics apply equally to everyone. Our society should strive to do the same.
You build the future by investing in a child's curiosity.
There is no substitute for hard work and preparation.
My story is not just about me. It's about possibility.
Contemporaries of Mary Jackson
Other Mathematicss born within 50 years of Mary Jackson (1921–2005).