NASA's First Black Female Engineer

From human computer to engineer, Mary Jackson helped change the standard of a woman’s place in the space industry.

Mary Jackson was born in Hampton, Virginia in 1921. She graduated from high school with honors and studied Mathematics and Physical Science at Hampton Institute, earning both degrees in 1942. Mary would try out five careers before finding her stride in the space industry. These include grade school math teacher, King Street USO Club receptionist, Hampton Institute Health Department bookkeeper, full time mother, and Army secretary at Fort Monroe.

Outside of these roles, Mary spent her time giving back to her community. She was a Girl Scout Troop Leader for more than 30 years. The book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly tells the story of the human computers at NASA who helped win the Space Race. Mary Jackon was one of these women. Shetterly discusses the impact that Mary had on her Girl Scouts:

"Mary didn't have the power to remove the limits that society imposed on her girls, but it was her duty, she felt, to help pry off the restriction they might place on themselves. Their dark skin, their gender, their economic status – none of those were acceptable excuses for not giving the fullest rein to their imaginations and ambitions " (Mary Shetterly, 2016).

Mary took her troops on various adventures around Hampton to earn their badges. They got to know their town, learned more about the work their parents do, and practiced their manners. Community service was very important to Mary and her husband. While they lived in Hampton, they had an open-door policy and welcomed anyone who walked through.

In 1951, Mary was hired as a human computer for the West Area Computing unit at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). At the time, NACA was segregated, and the West Computers were entirely African American female mathematicians. After two years in this role, she was offered a position conducting experiments in a wind tunnel. In this role she worked for Kazimierz Czarnecki.

Kazimierz later suggested Mary should join a training program to become an engineer. This program required her to take graduate level physics and math classes through the University of Virginia. These classes were held at Hampton High School, which was segregated at the time. This means Mary had to request special permission from the city to access the campus. 

NASA was established in 1958, incorporating NACA. In the same year Mary was granted her promotion and became the first Black female to hold an engineering position at NASA. She worked as an aerospace engineer for more than 20 years, leaving the role because she was denied higher manager roles. She took a lower manager role at the women's program at NASA where she worked to increase opportunities for women at the company. Mary retired in 1985. In 2021, NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC was renamed Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in her honor.