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 future is always changing, so you have to change with it.
We were pioneers, even if we didn't call ourselves that.
I always encouraged my girls to reach for the stars.
It wasn't about being a woman or being black; it was about being good at math.
I never gave up on myself or my team.
Every time we get a chance to get ahead, they move the finish line.
I told you I was going to do it. And I did.
We have to do things like everybody else, only better.
The women were the backbone of the computing group.
I was just doing my job.
You have to be ready for the opportunity when it comes.
There was a lot of prejudice to overcome, but we did it.
We needed the work, and we did it well.
I worked on whatever they gave me.
It wasn't a single person who made the difference; it was a group of us.
The math doesn't change based on who's doing the calculation.
We proved we could do the work, and that opened doors.
You can't get emotional about the numbers; they are what they are.
My job was to teach the women, and they were quick learners.
We were just as important as the engineers, even if they didn't always see it.
Contemporaries of Dorothy Vaughan
Other Mathematicss born within 50 years of Dorothy Vaughan (1910–2008).