04/24/2026
Mary Jackson started her career in the 1950s at what would become NASA, working at the Langley Research Center. She was part of a group of highly skilled women mathematicians known as “human computers,” doing complex calculations for aircraft and space research.
You might recognize her from the film Hidden Figures, which highlights her story of becoming the first black woman at NASA.
Jackson worked on aerodynamics, studying how air flows around aircraft. A lot of her work focused on wind tunnel experiments, where she analyzed data to improve aircraft design, especially at high speeds.
To become an engineer, she had to take graduate-level classes. But because of segregation, she had to petition a court just to attend classes at a whites-only school. She won, completed the courses, and earned her engineering title.
Later in her career, she shifted roles to focus on equal opportunity and diversity at NASA, helping other women and minorities advance in technical careers.
