Monument to 'Hidden Figure' Katherine Johnson Unveiled at West Virginia State University
A life-size bronze statue honoring NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson was unveiled at her alma mater, West Virginia State University, a day before her 100th birthday.
A Tribute "No Longer Hidden"
The monument was unveiled on August 25, 2018, the eve of Katherine Johnson's 100th birthday. The life-sized bronze statue stands at West Virginia State University (WVSU), where Johnson studied. According to Atlas Obscura, the statue aims to ensure that her contributions to the Space Race are "no longer hidden."
Johnson was one of the crucial human "computers" at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became NASA. Her manual calculations guided the trajectory of the first American human spaceflight, piloted by Alan Shepard in 1961.
From Segregated Schools to NASA
Growing up in West Virginia, Johnson faced segregation. Local schools did not allow African American students to study beyond the eighth grade. To continue her education, her family moved 100 miles to the town of Institute, West Virginia. At age 10, she began attending the high school located on the WVSU campus.
She graduated from high school at 15, entered college at 14, and completed her university studies summa cum laude at 18, earning degrees in mathematics and French. The monument now ensures that her story, once hidden, remains visible.
