Dorothy Vaughan
An American mathematician who worked for NASA and was one of the agency's first African-American managers.
Most quoted
"I saw the writing on the wall and I got into the computer business. I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to tell me what to do."
— from Biography/Interviews, 1960
"Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men."
— from Interview, 1980
"I always said, 'If you're going to do something, do it right.' Especially if it's sending someone into space."
— from Fictionalized accounts/interpretations
All quotes by Dorothy Vaughan (374)
The only thing I ever truly divided was the workload, and even then, I usually ended up with more.
They called it 'women's work.' I called it 'essential.'
I wasn't just a cog in the machine; I was the engine.
My mind was a universe of numbers, and I explored every corner.
They built the rockets, but we made sure they didn't fall out of the sky.
I didn't just break the glass ceiling; I calculated its stress points.
The only thing I ever truly multiplied was my knowledge.
They said it couldn't be done. I said, 'Hold my slide rule.'
I didn't just count the stars; I helped them find their way.
My calculations were so precise, they could tell you what you had for breakfast last Tuesday.
They wanted a solution. I gave them the equation for success.
I wasn't just a woman in STEM; I was a force of nature.
We always had to be a step ahead. We had to learn what was coming next.
I knew I was good at math. I just didn't know how far it would take me.
I didn't see myself as a pioneer. I just saw myself as doing my job.
The numbers don't lie. They tell a story.
There's always a solution. You just have to find it.
I never let anyone tell me what I couldn't do.
The future is always changing, and you have to change with it.
It wasn't about being a woman or being Black. It was about being good at what you did.
Contemporaries of Dorothy Vaughan
Other Mathematicss born within 50 years of Dorothy Vaughan (1910–2008).