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  • >>> OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M CLAYTON TURNER, DEPUTY

  • DIRECTOR OF NASA'S LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER, AND IT IS MY

  • HONOR TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO TODAY'S SPECIAL EVENT -- THE

  • OFFICIAL NAMING CEREMONY OF THE FUTURE KATHERINE G. JOHNSON

  • COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITY. AT THIS TIME, PLEASE SILENCE

  • YOUR CELL PHONES AS WE HONOR OUR NATION WITH THE POSTING OF OUR

  • COUNTRY'S COLORS BY THE U.S. JOINT BASE LANGLEY EUSTIS COLOR

  • GUARD, AND THE SINGING OF OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM BY NASA LANGLEY

  • RESEARCHER KERRY GOUGH. \M O SAY, CAN YOU SEE

  • BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT \M \M WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILED

  • AT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING? \M

  • \M WHOSE BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS

  • THROUGH THE PERILOUS FIGHT \M \M O'ER THE RAMPARTS

  • WE WATCHED WERE SO GALLANTLY

  • STREAMING? \M \M AND THE ROCKETS'

  • RED GLARE THE BOMBS BURSTING

  • IN AIR \M \M GAVE PROOF

  • THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT OUR FLAG

  • WAS STILL THERE \M \M OH, SAY, DOES THAT

  • STAR-SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVE \M

  • \M O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE \M

  • \M AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE? \M\M

  • >> TURN, POST. POST.

  • MARCH. >> YOU CAN TAKE YOUR SEATS,

  • PLEASE. ALTHOUGH SHE NEEDS VERY

  • LITTLE INTRODUCTION, FIRST AND FOREMOST PLEASE JOIN ME IN

  • WELCOMING BACK TO NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER TODAY'S SPECIAL

  • GUEST OF HONOR, NASA LANGLEY RETIREE AND "HUMAN COMPUTER,"

  • KATHERINE G. JOHNSON. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • ALSO JOINING HER TODAY ARE HER HUSBAND, JAMES, AND DAUGHTERS,

  • JOYLETTE HYLICK AND KATHERINE MOORE.

  • WE ALSO HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS JOINING US TODAY, AND

  • IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE THEM. THE HONORABLE BOBBY SCOTT,

  • CONGRESSMAN FROM THE 3rd DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] REPRESENTING CONGRESSMAN

  • SCOTT RIGELL, 2nd DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA, IS HIS DISTRICT

  • DIRECTOR SHANNON KENDRICK. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • THE HONORABLE MARCIA PRICE, DELEGATE TO THE VIRGINIA GENERAL

  • ASSEMBLY FROM THE 95th DISTRICT. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • THE HONORABLE GEORGE WALLACE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HAMPTON,

  • [ APPLAUSE ] CITY COUNCILMAN, DONNIE TUCK.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] >> VALERIE PRICE, THE FIRST LADY

  • OF NEWPORT NEWS. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> AND OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, MARGOT LEE SHETTERLY, AUTHOR OF

  • THE BOOK "HIDDEN FIGURES: THE STORY OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN

  • WOMEN WHO HELPED WIN THE SPACE RACE."

  • I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE GUESTS IN OUR AUDIENCE.

  • NASA DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF JON HERCZEG AND NASA CHIEF

  • COUNSEL SUMARA THOMPSON-KING. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • SO THERE'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WHY WE PICKED TODAY

  • TO HOLD THIS SPECIAL EVENT. 55 YEARS AGO, ON

  • MAY 5th, 1961, ALAN SHEPARD BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN TO

  • EVER FLY IN SPACE. HIS MERCURY CAPSULE, CALLED

  • FREEDOM 7, CARRIED HIM UP ABOUT 116 MILES, AND 15 MINUTES LATER

  • HE LANDED SAFELY 310 MILES DOWNRANGE FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE

  • CENTER IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE

  • WORLD WATCHED SHEPARD'S FLIGHT, BUT WHAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW AT THE

  • TIME WAS THAT THE CALCULATIONS THAT GOT HIM INTO SPACE AND

  • SAFELY HOME WERE DONE BY TODAY'S GUEST OF HONOR,

  • KATHERINE JOHNSON. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT YOU MUST HAVE BEEN FEELING DURING THOSE

  • 15 MINUTES. I WANTED TO ALSO POINT OUT

  • ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT ABOUT TODAY'S EVENT, WHICH IS BEING

  • HELD IN OUR REID CONFERENCE CENTER.

  • C DR. HENRY J.E. REID WAS THE CENTER DIRECTOR WHEN KATHERINE

  • WAS HIRED IN 1953. HE LED LANGLEY FROM 1926 TO

  • 1960, FROM THE BIPLANE ERA TO THE DOWN OF THE SPACE AGE.

  • JUST DOWN THE HALL FROM US IS THE PEARL YOUNG THEATER, NAMED

  • FOR THE FIRST WOMAN HIRED TO DO RESEARCH HERE IN 1922.

  • ALL TOLD, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES HERE AT

  • LANGLEY, YET ONLY FOUR OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY NAMED AFTER FORMER

  • EMPLOYEES. KATHERINE, TODAY YOU JOIN THAT

  • ELITE GROUP WITH THE OFFICIAL NAMING OF THE

  • KATHERINE G. JOHNSON COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITY.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] THE COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH

  • FACILITY IS A 40,000 SQUARE FOOT CONSOLIDATED DATA CENTER THAT

  • WILL ALLOW OUR ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS TO PERFORM ADVANCED

  • COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, CRUNCHING DATA AND

  • NUMBERS THAT WILL ONE DAY HELP NASA LAND HUMANS ON MARS, DESIGN

  • QUIETER, FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENT FUTURE AIRCRAFT, AND

  • HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR CHANGING CLIMATE.

  • IT'S NOT UNLIKE THE WORK THAT KATHERINE DID DURING HER TENURE

  • AT LANGLEY, HELPING NASA SEND THE FIRST AMERICANS INTO SPACE,

  • INTO ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH, AND TO THE MOON AND BACK.

  • EXCEPT SHE DIDN'T HAVE A 40,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING FULL

  • OF CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY. SHE DID MOST OF HER CALCULATIONS

  • BY HAND, OR IN HER HEAD, AND WITH THE HELP OF THE TECHNOLOGY

  • OF HER DAY, MECHANICAL CALCULATOR-TYPE MACHINES CALLED

  • MONROE AND FRIDEN MACHINES. PERHAPS JUST AS AMAZING IS THAT

  • KATHERINE BEGAN HER WORK AT NASA WHEN WOMEN AND MINORITIES WERE

  • MARGINALIZED IN AMERICAN SOCIETY.

  • WHEN SHE STARTED WORK IN 1953 OUR CENTER WAS STILL

  • SEGREGATED, BUT IT WAS HER SKILLS, SPIRIT, CURIOSITY AND

  • DETERMINATION THAT HELPED NOT ONLY SOLVE THE DIFFICULT

  • PROBLEMS OF SPACE TRAVEL, BUT ALSO HELPED BREAK THE RACIAL AND

  • GENDER BARRIERS SHE AND HER COLLEAGUES FACED.

  • NOW IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE OUR FIRST GUEST SPEAKER, THE

  • ACTING DIRECTOR OF OUR OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, MEL FEREBEE.

  • MEL IS WHO INITIALLY PROPOSED THE IDEA OF NAMING THE CRF AFTER

  • KATHERINE, AND THEN WORKED THE APPROVAL PROCESS WITH SENIOR

  • NASA OFFICIALS. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING

  • MEL TO THE STAGE. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> THANK YOU, CLAYTON, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.

  • I FIRST HEARD OF DR. JOHNSON'S STORY 41 YEARS AGO HERE AS A

  • HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. MANY OF US ASSEMBLED HERE TODAY

  • KNOW THE STORY, BUT IT'S WORTH HIGHLIGHTING AGAIN.

  • FROM AN EARLY AGE, KATHERINE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE

  • OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAME HER WAY -- HER PASSION FOR NUMBERS

  • AND MATHEMATICS LED HER TO SHARE HER KNOWLEDGE FIRST AS A TEACHER

  • AND THEN TO PURSUE A CAREER AT THE LANGLEY AERONAUTICAL

  • LABORATORY, WHICH BECAME NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER.

  • DURING A TIME WHEN WOMEN AND MINORITIES WERE MARGINALIZED IN

  • AMERICAN SOCIETY, SHE PERSEVERED.

  • SHE EXCELLED AT WHAT SHE DID. HER REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE

  • LED TO ASSIGNMENTS THAT WERE CRUCIAL TO AMERICA'S EARLY SPACE

  • PROGRAM. SHE CALCULATED THE LAUNCH WINDOW

  • AND TRAJECTORY OF THE FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE, ALAN SHEPARD,

  • WHO MADE THAT HISTORIC FLIGHT 55 YEARS AGO.

  • ALSO, TODAY IS THE VERY FIRST NATIONAL ASTRONAUTS DAY.

  • HER REPUTATION FOR ACCURACY WAS SO WELL KNOWN THAT ASTRONAUT

  • JOHN GLENN, WHOSE ORBITAL TRAJECTORY WAS THE FIRST TO BE

  • CALCULATED BY AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER, ASKED FOR HER TO CHECK

  • THOSE CALCULATIONS. IN FACT, SHE HELPED THE AGENCY

  • ESTABLISH CONFIDENCE IN THIS NEW ELECTRONIC COMPUTING.

  • DR. JOHNSON WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK ON THE APOLLO 11 MISSION, THE

  • FIRST MISSION WHICH HUMANS LANDED AND WALKED ON THE MOON.

  • AND WHEN OUR NATION IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR A REUSABLE SPACE

  • VEHICLE, THE SPACE SHUTTLE -- LARGE ENOUGH TO CARRY THE

  • BUILDING BLOCKS OF WHAT HAS NOW BECOME THE WORLD'S ONLY IN-SPACE

  • LABORATORY, THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION -- SHE CALCULATED

  • THOSE ORBITAL TRAJECTORIES TOO. THROUGHOUT HER CAREER AND DURING

  • HER RETIREMENT, SHE TOOK THE TIME TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE,

  • ESPECIALLY GIRLS, TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS IN SCIENCE,

  • TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH.

  • DR. JOHNSON, THANK YOU FOR SETTING AN EXAMPLE FROM WHICH WE

  • CAN ALL LEARN -- TO FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, EXCEL IN YOUR WORK, AND

  • ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ME,

  • AND TO ALL OF US, NOT ONLY HERE AT LANGLEY, BUT ACROSS NASA AND

  • OUR NATION. THANK YOU.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU, MEL.

  • AT THIS TIME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'D LIKE TO SHARE A

  • SHORT VIDEO ABOUT KATHERINE'S CAREER.

  • \M\M \M\M

  • \M\M \M\M

  • \M\M [ APPLAUSE ]

  • \M\M [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> NASA LANGLEY HAS BEEN PROUD TO CALL HAMPTON HOME FOR ALMOST

  • 100 YEARS AND WE OUR GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THE CITY AND ITS

  • LEADERS HAVE SHOWN US. WE AT LANGLEY ARE HAPPY TO

  • WELCOME BACK HAMPTON MAYOR GEORGE WALLACE FOR SOME OPENING

  • REMARKS. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

  • IT IS ALTOGETHER FITTING AND PROPER THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY TO

  • HONOR A GREAT LADY WITH ANOTHER SYMBOL OF HER LONG AND

  • DISTINGUISHED CAREER. WE KNOW THAT SHE WAS A CHILD

  • PRODIGY WITH A PROLIFIC CAPACITY TO COUNT EVERYTHING FROM THE

  • NUMBERS OF STEPS FROM HER STEPS TO THE CHURCH TO THE NUMBER OF

  • DISHES ON THE SHELF TO COUNTING THE TRAJECTORY OF ASTRONAUT ALAN

  • GLENN'S 1961 AMERICAN FLIGHT TO SPACE.

  • SHE BECAME A SUMA CUM LAUDE GRADUATE AT THE AGE OF 18.

  • SHE WAS AMONG THE EARLY GROUP OF WOMEN HIRED BY NASA TO BECOME

  • KNOWN AS ONE OF THE GROUP OF COMPUTERS IN SKIRTS.

  • HER EXCELLENCE WAS KNOWN AND NOTED EARLY, AND SHE WAS ASKED

  • BY -- AS HAS BEEN INDICATED BY ASTRONAUT JOHN GLENN TO DOUBLE

  • CHECK THAT HE MADE THE CORRECT COMPUTER CALCULATION TO MAKE

  • SURE THAT THE NUMBERS WERE CORRECT.

  • SHE'S A WIFE OTHER MOTHER, AND A GOOD FRIEND TO MANY.

  • ON NOVEMBER 4th, 2015, SHE WAS GIVEN THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF

  • FREEDOM BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, AS YOU WILL SEE.

  • MOST RECENTLY, HAMPTON ACKNOWLEDGES THE GREAT

  • HAMPTONIAN IN OUR MIDST BY CONVEYING UPON HER THE HIGHEST

  • HONOR THAT WE CAN GIVE, THE DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS MEDAL FOR

  • EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TO HAMPTON AND AMERICA.

  • TO YOU, MRS. JOHNSON, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ALL

  • OF US, AND MAY THE RICH REWARDS AND GOOD BLESSINGS CONTINUE TO

  • BE YOURS. THANK YOU.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU, MAYOR WALLACE.

  • IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT, 20th CENTURY FOX IS CURRENTLY

  • SHOOTING A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, "HIDDEN FIGURES," WHICH IS

  • SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE LATER THIS YEAR.

  • THE FILM IS BASED UPON THE BOOK WRITTEN BY TODAY'S KEYNOTE

  • SPEAKER, MS. MARGOT SHETTERLY. I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A

  • VIDEO MESSAGE FROM SOME OF THE CAST FROM THE MOVIE.

  • >> HELLO, HELLO, HELLO. I JUST WANTED TO PERSONALLY

  • CONGRATULATE A HERO OF MINE, MISS KATHERINE JOHNSON.

  • THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OPENING UP SO MANY DOORS FOR YOUNG

  • AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN LIKE MYSELF, AND SO MANY OTHERS, WHO

  • USE THEIR INTELLIGENCE AS THEIR POWER TO PERSEVERE THROUGH ALL

  • OBSTACLES THAT MAY BE THROWN THEIR WAY.

  • I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND I'M SO HONORED TO EVEN TELL YOU THANK

  • YOU. GOD BLESS YOU, MISS KATHERINE,

  • YOU ARE A TRUE ICON. YOU ARE A LEADER AND THE WORLD

  • WILL BE FOREVER BETTER BECAUSE OF YOU.

  • GOD BLESS. >> MRS. KATHERINE JOHNSON, I AM

  • HAPPY THAT YOU ARE BEING, FINALLY BEING, ACKNOWLEDGED FOR

  • YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO HISTORY, TO THE WORLD, TO THE SPACE

  • PROGRAM, TO WOMEN OF COLOR, TO OUR HISTORY AND MAY YOUR NAME

  • LONG LIVE ON THAT BUILDING AT LANGLEY.

  • I APPRECIATE YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS.

  • >> I'M TARAJI P. HENSON AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU, MISS

  • KATHERINE GOBLE JOHNSON, MISS QUEEN JOHNSON, THE BRILLIANT

  • MIND, MISS JOHNSON FOR THE NAMING OF THE BUILDING,

  • RIGHTFULLY DESERVED. YOU DESERVE IT.

  • THEY SHOULD NAME NASA AFTER YOU. I SEE YOU --

  • THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. [ LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE ]

  • >> GREAT MESSAGE FROM 20th CENTURY FOX.

  • WE'LL HAVE TO WORK ON THAT LAST PART.

  • SO CHARLIE BOLDEN DID WANT TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT A SCHEDULING

  • CONFLICT HAS KEPT HIM AWAY. I HAVE A NOTE THAT I WANT TO

  • READ SO HE'S THE PERSON WHO CAN MAYBE START TO GET THAT DONE.

  • DEAR MS. JOHNSON, I'M WRITING TO OFFER MY PROFOUND

  • CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON BEING CHOSEN TO BE THE NAMESAKE FOR

  • LANGLEY'S NEWEST BUILDING. ALONG WITH MY GRATITUDE FOR THE

  • TRAIL YOU HAVE BLAZED FOR NASA, THE MATHEMATICIANS, FOR SWIM,

  • FOR SPACE SCIENTISTS, FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS, AND FOR

  • DREAMERS EVERYWHERE. I AM TOLD YOU ONCE REMARKED THAT

  • EVEN THOUGH YOU GREW UP IN THE HEIGHT OF SEGREGATION, YOU DID

  • NOT HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY AND THAT

  • YOU NEVER HAD A FEELING OF INFERIORITY.

  • INSTEAD, YOU CONSIDERED YOURSELF AS YOU DESCRIBED IT, AS GOOD AS

  • ANYBODY ELSE BUT NO BETTER. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT

  • YOU ARE BETTER. ARE YOU ONE OF THE GREATEST

  • MINDS EVER TO GRACE OUR AGENCY, OUR COUNTRY, AND BECAUSE OF YOUR

  • MIND, HEART, AND SOUL, MY OWN GRANDDAUGHTERS AND YOUNG

  • AMERICANS LIKE THEM CAN PURSUE THEIR OWN DREAMS WITHOUT A

  • FEELING OF INFERIORITY. THEREFORE, I HOPE TODAY THAT ALL

  • OF US WILL TAKE A STEP BACK AND REFLECT ON YOUR IMPACT.

  • YOU HAVE ALREADY FOREVER LEFT YOUR MARK ON THE LANGLEY

  • RESEARCH CENTER AND ON NASA. NOW THIS MARK WILL BE FORMALLY

  • INSCRIBED ON LANGLEY'S CAMPUS IN THE FORM OF THE KATHERINE G.

  • JOHNSON COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITY.

  • WITH GREAT AWE AND APPRECIATION, CHARLIE F. BOLDEN,

  • ADMINISTRATOR. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • JOINING US TODAY IS U.S. CONGRESSMAN

  • SCOTT RIGELL'S DISTRICT DIRECTOR FOR THE 2nd DISTRICT.

  • AND SHANNON KENDRICK HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU TODAY,

  • KATH. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GOOD

  • AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. IT IS AN HAPPENOR AND A -- AN

  • HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY ON THIS MOST

  • AUSPICIOUS OCCASION. THIS IS MY THIRD AND JUST -- IN

  • ALMOST TWO MONTHS EVENT WHERE YOU ARE RECEIVING YOUR DUE

  • HONOR. AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO PERSONALLY

  • BE HERE TO WITNESS IT. I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT I'M

  • APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU CHARTED A COURSE AND BLAZED A TRAIL FOR US

  • ALL. WE THANK YOU FOR PIONEERING A

  • WAY FOR SO MANY. BECAUSE OF YOU, THERE IS A LIMIT

  • BEYOND THE SKY, AND WE CAN ALL REACH THE STARS.

  • I AM HERE TO SHARE A LETTER FROM THE CONGRESSMAN TO ALL.

  • AND IT BEGINS, DEAR GUESTS, I'M HONORED -- I AM HONORED TO

  • WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE OFFICIAL DEDICATION OF NASA LANGLEY

  • RESEARCH CENTER'S NEW KATHERINE G. JOHNSON COMPUTATIONAL

  • RESEARCH FACILITY. THIS IS A DESERVING TRIBUTE TO

  • HONOR KATHERINE'S MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND

  • CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATION'S SPACE PROGRAM.

  • KATHERINE BEGAN HER INCREDIBLE CAREER HERE IN VIRGINIA'S SECOND

  • CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AT NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR

  • AERONAUTICS LANGLEY. SHE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH DURING

  • HER TENURE AT NACA AND LATER NASA, INCLUDING CALCULATING THE

  • FLIGHTS OF APOLLO 11 AND ALAN SHEPHERD'S 1961 MERCURY FLIGHT.

  • THE FIRST FLIGHT OF AN AMERICAN HERO INTO SPACE.

  • KATHERINE MADE TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATION'S

  • SPACE PROGRAM. IT IS RIGHT THAT NASA LANGLEY'S

  • NEWEST BUILDING IS KATHERINE G. JOHNSON COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH

  • FACILITY. MY WIFE TERRI JOINS ME IN

  • WELCOMING TO THIS EVENT. WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT SO MANY OF

  • YOU HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND AND SHARE YOUR

  • SUPPORT. MINDFUL THAT I WORK FOR YOU, I

  • REMAIN YOURS IN FREEDOM, CONGRESSMAN SCOTT RIGELL.

  • THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> THANK YOU, SHANNON. OUR NEXT SPEAKER -- AND PLEASE

  • THANK CONGRESSMAN RIGELL.

  • OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS THE HONORABLE CONGRESSMAN

  • BOBBY SCOTT, A LONG-TIME FRIEND OF OUR CENTER.

  • NOW IN HIS 12th TERM, CONGRESSMAN SCOTT SERVES AS THE

  • RANKING MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE,

  • WHERE HE LEADS THE FIGHT FOR ACCESS TO QUALITY EARLY,

  • SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION FOR ALL OF AMERICA'S CHILDREN.

  • PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING CONGRESSMAN BOBBY SCOTT.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND

  • INTRODUCTION. I'M CERTAINLY HONORED TO BE HERE

  • WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

  • INCLUDING MY LONG-TIME FRIEND, JIM JOHNSON.

  • IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, JIM. AND AS WE'RE HERE TODAY TO

  • CELEBRATE THE 55th ANNIVERSARY OF ALAN SHEPHERD BECOMING THE

  • FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE, AS WE CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF

  • DR. JOHNSON AND DEDICATE THE KATHERINE G. JOHNSON

  • COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITY, SO THAT ALL OF HER

  • ACCOMPLISHMENTS WILL BE RECOGNIZED NOT ONLY BY THOSE WHO

  • KNEW HER BUT BY THOSE WHEN ARE ABLE TO TELL HER STORY, SO THAT

  • WE'LL BE ABLE TO TELL HER STORY AND INSPIRE OTHERS.

  • DR. JOHNSON HAS HAD A STORIED CAREER AT NASA, WORKING ON EVERY

  • MANNED SPACEFLIGHT PROJECT FROM MERCURY THROUGH THE APOLLO,

  • THROUGH THE SPACE SHUTTLE AND EVEN THE MANNED MISSION TO MARS.

  • THOSE WHO GATHERED HERE TODAY ARE OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF HER

  • ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS INCLUDING THREE NASA SPECIAL

  • ACHIEVEMENTS AWARDS, THE NASA APOLLO TEAM GROUP ACHIEVEMENT

  • AWARD, AND OF COURSE THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM.

  • WHILE SHE HAS HAD A LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER HERE AT NASA,

  • SHE HAS ALSO HAD AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT IMPACT ON OUR

  • COMMUNITY. WE SEE THESE A TRUSTED ELDER AT

  • CARVER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, THE LEADER AT THE NATIONAL

  • ASSOCIATION. AND YOU CAN SEE BY THE PINK AND

  • GREEN IN THE AUDIENCE THAT SHE'S ALSO BEEN PRESIDENT OF THE LAMDO

  • OMEGA CHAPTER OF THE ALPHA SORORITY.

  • AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER'S BOOK, "HIDDEN

  • FIGURES," ON DR. JOHNSON AND OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN'S

  • WORK AT NASA CHRONICLES THE EARLY MANNED SPACEFLIGHT

  • MISSIONS AND COMPUTATIONS THAT THEY MADE TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.

  • AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT -- THAT MOVIE.

  • TO BE HONEST, I ENJOY COMEDIES AND THRILLERS JUST LIKE

  • EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT FRANKLY, DR. JOHNSON'S STORY IS ONE THAT WE

  • OUGHT TO BE TELLING OUR CHILDREN.

  • SHE BROKE DOWN NUMEROUS BARRIERS THROUGHOUT HER CAREER.

  • WHILE SHE PERSONALLY DID NOT REACH THE STARS LIKE THE

  • ASTRONAUTS WHOSE TRAJECTORIES SHE CALCULATED, HER CAREER CAME

  • MIGHTY CLOSE TO THOSE STARS. AND I'VE HEARD THAT YOU CAN

  • JUDGE A SOCIETY BASED ON THOSE THAT -- A SOCIETY BASED ON THOSE

  • THAT REMEMBER. I'M THEY'RE MAKE SURE HER

  • CONTRIBUTIONS AREN'T FORGOTTEN. BOTH NASA AND THE HAMPTON ROADS

  • COMMUNITY ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE CALLED DR. JOHNSON ONE OF OUR

  • OWN. I'M SURE I SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY

  • HERE TO SAY THAT WE'RE ALL PROUD TODAY TO HONOR HER AND PAY

  • TRIBUTES TO HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO NASA OVER

  • THE YEARS. THANK YOU, DR. JOHNSON, AND

  • CONGRATULATIONS. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> THANK YOU, CONGRESSMAN SCOTT. U.S. SENATOR TIM KAINE, A FORMER

  • GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, COULDN'T BE WITH US TODAY, BUT HE WANTED

  • TO SEND ALONG HIS CONGRATULATIONS

  • IN THIS VIDEO MESSAGE. >> HI, I'M SENATOR TIM KAINE.

  • UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T BE HERE IN PERSON ON THIS SPECIAL OCCASION,

  • BUT I WANT TO THANK NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER FOR

  • INVITING ME TO TAKE PART IN THIS GREAT EVENT.

  • MS. JOHNSON IS BEING RECOGNIZED TODAY BECAUSE OF HER INVALUABLE

  • CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATION'S SPACE PROGRAM DURING HER CAREER

  • AS A NASA MATHEMATICIAN. MS. JOHNSON'S WORK HELPED

  • AMERICA SEND A MAN TO SPACE, AND THEN TO THE MOON.

  • THESE ADVANCES THEN PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES OF EXPLORATION AND

  • PAVED THE WAY FOR OUR CURRENT GOAL OF REACHING MARS.

  • HER 33 YEARS OF SERVICE HELPED NASA TAKE GREAT STRIDES IN

  • SCIENCE AND INNOVATION THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN IN HER

  • RETIREMENT. IN FACT, PEOPLE ARE STILL

  • BUILDING UPON THE FOUNDATION THAT HER WORK LAID.

  • BUT, AS MANY HAVE SAID BEFORE ME, INCLUDING PRESIDENT OBAMA

  • DURING HIS PRESENTATION OF THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM LAST YEAR,

  • MS. JOHNSON'S IMPACTS ON OUR NATION STRETCH WELL BEYOND HER

  • STELLAR MATHEMATICAL CALCULATIONS.

  • JUST AS HER WORK CHALLENGED THE LIMITS OF OUR REACH BEYOND

  • EARTH, HER CHARACTER CHALLENGED OUR WAY OF THINKING ABOUT WOMEN

  • IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS AND ENGINEERING.

  • AS A PIONEER FOR WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR WISHING TO BREAK

  • INTO NEW TECHNICAL FIELDS, MS. JOHNSON HAS SET A PROUD

  • EXAMPLE FOR PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS, NO MATTER THE

  • NORMS AND CONVENTIONS, AND TO REACH FOR THE STARS IN THEIR OWN

  • LIVES. MS. JOHNSON MAY NOT HAVE FLOWN

  • TO THE MOON HERSELF, BUT SHE IS A LIVING EXAMPLE OF HOW TO SHOOT

  • FOR THE MOON. MS. JOHNSON, THE COMMONWEALTH IS

  • PROUD TO HAVE YOUR LEGACY AT NASA LANGLEY, AND I SEND MY BEST

  • TO YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON THESE

  • WONDERFUL AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS AND TO ALL WHO HAVE

  • SUPPORTED YOU ALONG THE WAY. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> AND NOW FOR OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER.

  • MARGOT SHETTERLY, WHO IS ACCOMPANIED HERE TODAY BY HER

  • PARENTS, BOB AND MARGARET LEE -- [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> IS NO STRANGER TO NASA LANGLEY.

  • HER FATHER WORKED AS A RESEARCHER IN LANGLEY'S SCIENCE

  • DIRECTORATE. AFTER GROWING UP WITH A FATHER

  • WHO WAS AN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENTIST, AND A MOTHER WHO WAS

  • A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, PERHAPS IT

  • SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT MARGOT BECAME SOMEBODY WHO WOULD

  • WRITE ABOUT SCIENTISTS. AND WE'RE SO GLAD THAT SHE DID.

  • WE ARE VERY PLEASED THAT HER BOOK, AND THE MOVIE BASED ON IT,

  • ARE SHINING SUCH A BRIGHT LIGHT ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PEOPLE

  • LIKE KATHERINE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING

  • TODAY'S KEYNOTE SPEAKER, MARGOT SHETTERLY.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] >> GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE,

  • ALL OF OUR DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. IT'S SUCH AN EXCITING THING TO

  • BE HERE. KATHERINE, I AM SO PROUD AND SO

  • THRILLED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS WONDERFUL CEREMONY TODAY.

  • YOU HAVE DISTINGUISHED YOURSELF WITH OUTSTANDING WORK IN

  • MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTATION, SO IT'S ABSOLUTELY NATURAL AND

  • MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD THAT BUILDING SHOULD BEAR YOUR

  • NAME. FIVE YEARS AGO, I SAT DOWN WITH

  • MRS. JOHNSON FOR THE FIRST TIME TO INTERVIEW HER ABOUT HER LIFE

  • AND CAREER. WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THEN HAS

  • BEEN OVERWHELMING TO SAY THE LEAST.

  • HER STORY AND STORY OF WOMEN WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY AS

  • MATHEMATICIANS HAS CAPTIVATED AMERICA.

  • THERE'S A REASON I NAMED THE BOOK "HIDDEN FIGURES."

  • THEIR STORIES UNTIL THIS POINT HAD REALLY GONE UNRECOGNIZED AND

  • UNTOLD, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN BRINGING

  • THEIR STORIES THE PUBLIC WHERE THEY DESERVE TO BE.

  • I WON'T MAKE VERY LONG REMARKS. WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF WORDS ABOUT

  • MRS. JOHNSON. WHAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY WAS TO

  • USE HER WORDS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER CAREER, HER WORK,

  • AND SOME OF THE OTHER WOMEN THAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT THROUGH HER

  • BECAUSE MOST BRILLIANT PEOPLE HAVE RESPECT FOR OTHER BRILLIANT

  • PEOPLE. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS

  • I'VE LEARNED FROM HER. SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO

  • SHARING MANY OF THE WORDS THAT SHE HAS SHARED WITH ME OVER THE

  • FIVE YEARS THAT I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW ABOUT HER AND HER STORY.

  • AS YOU KNOW, SHE STARTED OUT IN THE WEST COMPUTING FACILITIES.

  • WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE EARLIER TODAY, THE GUESTS HAVE

  • MENTIONED. THIS WAS A SEGREGATED FACILITY

  • ORIGINALLY. TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT, SHE WAS

  • SENT TO THE FLIGHT RESEARCH DIVISION HERE AT NASA LANGLEY.

  • ANY TIME I'VE ASKED HER ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT SHE WORKED WITH,

  • THE FIRST THING SHE SAYS IS THEY WERE BRAINY FOLKS, AND SHE JUST

  • LOVED THOSE BRAINY PEOPLE. [ LAUGHTER ]

  • OF COURSE, THE NAMES CHANGED OVER TIME, AND ONE OF THE THINGS

  • I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IS THOUGH MRS. JOHNSON

  • IS KNOWN FOR HER WORK ON THE SPACE PROGRAM, SHE SPENT FOUR

  • YEARS WORKING ON AIRPLANE SECURITY AND AIRPLANE

  • REGULATIONS AND TRYING TO MAKE AIRPLANES SAFER.

  • SO THE NEXT TIME YOU GET ON AN AIRPLANE, YOU SHOULD ALSO THINK

  • OF HER AND THINK OF THE PEOPLE HERE AT NASA LANGLEY BECAUSE THE

  • AIR SAFETY THAT WE HAVE TODAY IS DUE IN LARGE PART TO THEIR WORK,

  • AS WELL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE

  • ASK ME CONSTANTLY ABOUT THIS BOOK AND ABOUT THE MOVIE IS WHY

  • HAVEN'T I HEARD THE STORY BEFORE.

  • I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVEN'T HEARD IT, IT'S

  • BECAUSE OF THE MODESTY OF MRS. JOHNSON AND THESE WOMEN WHO WERE

  • JUST DOING THEIR JOB. AND I THINK MANY OF US WHO HAVE

  • HAD CONVERSATION WITH HER, WE ASK HOW DID IT FEEL TO BE SUCH

  • AN IMPORTANT PART OF HISTORY? WHAT DID YOU DO TO DEAL WITH THE

  • PRESSURE OF CALCULATING THESE VERY IMPORTANT CALCULATIONS?

  • THE ASTRONAUTS' SAFETY DEPENDED ON IT.

  • SHE MODESTLY SAYS, "I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB."

  • WHAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY WAS TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE IT WHAT THAT

  • JOB ACTUALLY ENTAILED. SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, ON THE

  • LEFT, SEPTEMBER, 1960, THIS IS THE RESEARCH REPORT THAT

  • DETAILED THE ORBITAL EQUATIONS THAT THE GROUP THAT SHE WAS IN,

  • THE AEROSPACE MECHANICS GROUP, USED TO PUT A MAN INTO ORBIT.

  • AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PAGES THERE FROM THE

  • PRESENTATION. NOW, IMAGINE, IF YOU CAN SEE

  • THESE EIGHT PAGES, IMAGINE SOMETHING THAT IS 150 PAGES OF

  • THAT, AND YOU HAVE TO CHECK IT USING THIS MACHINE ON THE LEFT.

  • THIS IS THE WORK THAT SHE WAS ASKED TO DO IN THE COUNTDOWN TO

  • THE FLIGHT IN WHICH JOHN GLENN TOOK A HUGE STEP AND WAS THE

  • FIRST AMERICAN TO ORBIT THE EARTH.

  • THAT'S PRESSURE. BUT MRS. JOHNSON STOOD UP TO

  • THAT PRESSURE. HER NUMBERS WERE RIGHT, AND THEY

  • USED HER NUMBERS TO HELP CALIBRATE AND CHECK THE

  • COMPUTERS WHICH WERE NEW AT THAT TIME.

  • AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER, YOU CAN'T LOOK IN THE EYE.

  • A HUMAN COMPUTER, YOU CAN. YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS.

  • THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY ASKED THIS BRILLIANT WOMAN

  • TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER BEFORE JOHN GLENN TOOK

  • OFF FOR THE HEAVENS. IT WASN'T VERY LONG INTO MY

  • CONVERSATIONS WITH MRS. JOHNSON BEFORE I HEARD THE NAME DOROTHY

  • LAW -- DOROTHY VAUGHN. I HEARD IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

  • I ASKED HER, WHO'S DOROTHY VAUGHN.

  • SHE SAID, DOROTHY VAUGHN WAS MY ORIGINAL SUPERVISOR.

  • WHEN SHE WAS SENT ORIGINALLY TO THE WEST COMPUTING AUDIENCE, IT

  • WAS JUST TWO WEEKS, BUT SHE WORKED FOR MRS. DOROTHY VAUGHN.

  • NO DOROTHY VAUGHN CAME HERE TO HAMPTON ROADS DURING WORLD WAR

  • II. SHE WAS A MATH TEACHER AT ROBERT

  • MOTON HIGH SCHOOL WHICH GAINED A MEASURE OF FAME ALSO IN ITS ROLE

  • LEADING UP TO THE BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION DECISION.

  • MRS. VAUGHN WAS THE HEAD OF THE GROUP CALLED THE WEST COAST

  • COMPUTERS. MRS. JOHNSON HAS TOLD ME MANY

  • TIMES ABOUT THE RESPECT THAT SHE HAD FOR MRS. VAUGHN AND FOR HER

  • TALENT. WHAT SHE SAID OVER AND OVER IS,

  • DOT VAUGHN OF THE SMARTEST OF ALL THE GIRLS.

  • SO HERE'S AN EXAMPLE HERE OF MRS. VAUGHN'S WORK.

  • AS A SUPERVISOR -- AND SHE WAS PROMOTED IN 1951 TO THE HEAD OF

  • THE WEST AREA COMPUTING GROUP. PER MY RESEARCH, I BELIEVE THAT

  • MAKES HER THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN SUPERVISOR IN

  • THE HISTORY OF NASA. NOW, THIS IS IN 1951.

  • I THINK IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF MRS.

  • VAUGHN'S WORK. SHE WAS DRAFTED TO HELP CONSULT

  • ON A HANDBOOK USINGAL BRAYIC METHODS ON THE FRIEDEN -- USING

  • ALGEBRAIC METHODS ON THE FRIEDEN AND ALGORITHM MACHINES.

  • PRETTY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THEY FORM ALL THE

  • RESEARCH AND LATER SPACE RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE HERE AT

  • FACILITY. BEFORE DOROTHY VAUGHN TOOK THE

  • HELM AT THE WEST COMPUTERS, A WOMAN NAMED MARJORIE HANNAH WAS

  • THE HEAD OF THE GROUP. NOW, MARJORIE WAS IN THE EAST

  • COMPUTING GROUP, AND THIS WAS THE GROUP OF THE WHITE WOMEN AT

  • THE CENTER. SHE WAS APPOINTED TO HEAD THIS

  • GROUP. MARJORIE WAS SOMEBODY WHO TOOK

  • THIS ASSIGNMENT VERY SERIOUSLY. SHE TREATED THE WOMEN IN HER

  • GROUP AS EQUALS. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE

  • TAKE FOR GRANTED NOW. SHE ACTUALLY SOCIALIZED WITH THE

  • WOMEN IN HER GRUMP -- HER GROUP. SHE INVITED THEM TO HER HOME.

  • THERE WAS -- THIS WAS A BIG DEAL IN THOSE DAYS.

  • SHE WAS ALSO A VERY GOOD MATHEMATICIAN.

  • IN 1948 SHE CO-AUTHORED A REPORT WITH SAM CTASOFF.

  • I'M SURE PEOPLE REMEMBER HIS NAME.

  • HE WENT ON TO BECOME THE CHIEF SCIENTIST AT NASA LANGLEY.

  • IN 1948, MARJORIE HANNAH WAS MOVED TO THE FULL SCALE, AND SHE

  • AND SAM KATSOFF CO-AUTHORED A REPORT.

  • SHE WENT ON TO CO-AUTHOR ANOTHER REPORT.

  • SHE WAS MOVED OVER TO MRS. JOHNSON'S DIVISION AND

  • CO-AUTHORED ANOTHER REPORT WITH AN ENGINEER ON SOMETHING CALLED

  • THE GRAND TOUR OF THE OUTER PLANETS.

  • THIS OF THE IDEA THAT A SPACESHIP WOULD LEAVE THE EARTH

  • AND HOP FROM MARS TO SAT ATTORNEY JUPITER USING THE

  • GRAVITY OF EACH PLANET TO SLINGSHOT IT TO ANOTHER PLANET.

  • SHE RECEIVED AN AWARD FOR THIS IN 1970.

  • WHEN I MENTIONED HER NAME TO MRS. JOHNSON, SHE SAID THAT SHE

  • THOUGHT MARJORIE HANNAH WAS SOMEBODY WHO HADN'T RECEIVED THE

  • CREDIT THAT SHE DESERVED. SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY WAS

  • TO MENTION HER NAME TO YOU SO THAT YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT WORK SHE

  • DID. NOW HERE'S SOMEBODY WHOSE NAME

  • AND FACE I THINK IS VERY FAMILIAR TO US --

  • [ APPLAUSE ] DR. CHRISTINE DARDEN.

  • SHE WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY.

  • SHE'S IN COLORADO VISITING HER GRANDCHILDREN.

  • SHE STARTED OUT IN 1967 AT THE CENTER.

  • THIS WAS AT THE VERY END OF THE COMPUTING POOL.

  • AND DR. DARDEN STARTED WHAT WAS CALLED AT THE TIME A DATA

  • ANALYST, WHICH IS SORT OF THE NAME FOR THE WORK THAT THE WOMEN

  • DID. IT CHANGED OVER TIME.

  • IT WAS COMPUTERS, SOMETIMES IT WAS MATHEMATICIAN, MATH AIDES,

  • THERE WERE DIFFERENT WORDS AND DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THAT WORK

  • OVER TIME. BUT WHAT DR. DARDEN REALLY

  • WANTED TO DO WAS TO BE AN ENGINEER, AND TO DO HER OWN

  • RESEARCH. SO AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS IN

  • THE COMPUTING POOL, SHE WENT TO HER DIVISION CHIEF.

  • AND I THINK THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE AT NASA AND WHO UNDERSTAND

  • THE HIERARCHY CAN JUST IMAGINE THE IDEA OF SOMEBODY WHO'S ADATA

  • ANALYST WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS GOING TO THE DIVISION

  • CHIEF, A PRETTY IMPORTANT PERSON.

  • WHAT SHE SAID WAS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IS IT THAT WOMEN

  • WHO COME IN HERE ARE HIRED AS DATA ANALYSTS, WHEREAS MEN ARE

  • HIRED AS ENGINEER. WHAT I WANT TO DO IS I WANT TO

  • DO MY OWN RESEARCH. I WANT THE SAME PRIVILEGES THAT

  • THE MEN HAVE. YOU AND WHY IS THIS?

  • SO THE DIVISION CHIEF DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A GOOD ANSWER TO

  • THAT. BUT TWO WEEKS LATER, HE MADE THE

  • TRANSFER, AND DR. DARDEN WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE HER OWN

  • RESEARCH, START HER OWN RESEARCH.

  • AND ON THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE THE COVER FROM HER PIONEERING REPORT

  • IN 1975. AND SO WHAT SHE DID, AND THIS

  • WAS A TIME WHEN COMPUTERS REALLY WERE COMING INTO USE HERE AND

  • NOT JUST SPACE BUT ALSO IN AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH.

  • SHE MODELED THE SONIC BOOM. THE CRACK THAT WE HEAR LIKE

  • THUNDER CLAPS WHEN A VEHICLE SUPERSEDES THE SPEED OF SOUND.

  • HER MODEL IS STILL THE BASIS FOR INDUSTRY STANDARD SONIC BOOM

  • SOFTWARE THAT'S STILL USED IN THE INDUSTRY TODAY.

  • AND SHE IS SOMEBODY WHEN -- THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN I TALK

  • TO MRS. JOHNSON AND I WOULD ASK ABOUT HER WORK.

  • SHE WOULD SAY, NO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHRISTINE DARDEN.

  • SHE SAID TO ME -- AND YOU KNOW THAT MRS. DARDEN GOES INTO

  • SCHOOLS. SHE'S EXTREMELY ENERGETIC ABOUT

  • GETTING STUDENTS INTERESTED IN S.T.E.M. CAREERS.

  • SHE SAID, I MENTION CHRISTINE DARDEN EVERY CHANCE I GET

  • BECAUSE SHE IS A MODEL OF HOW FAR MATHEMATICAL TALENT CAN TAKE

  • YOU. NOW IF ALL THE WORDS THAT I'VE

  • HEARD MRS. JOHNSON SAY, AND AT THIS POINT THERE ARE MANY, AND

  • THERE HAVE SO MANY INTERESTING THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM B HER

  • AND FROM HER, I THINK THE ONE THAT STAYS WITH ME MOST IS THIS

  • -- AND WE'VE HEARD IT MENTIONED HERE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.

  • YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE, AND NO ONE IS BETTER THAN

  • YOU. I THINK IT'S TEMPTING FOR US TO

  • FOCUS ON THE PART OF NO ONE IS BETTER THAN YOU.

  • I THINK THE REAL SUBTLETY AND THE MEAT AND POWER OF THE

  • STATEMENT IS THE PART THAT SAYS, YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN ANYONE

  • ELSE. AND REALLY, THIS IS ONE OF THE

  • REASONS WHY MRS. JOHNSON'S STORY HAS CAPTIVATED US.

  • SHE HAS SUCH A TOWERING TALENT, BUT SHE'S GONE OUT OF HER WAY TO

  • RECOGNIZE TALENT IN OTHER PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR

  • GENDER, OF THEIR RACE, OF THEIR BACKGROUND.

  • IF YOU'RE A SMART PERSON, THEN, YOU KNOW, SHE WANTS TO HAVE A

  • CONVERSATION WITH YOU. AND SHE SEES YOU AS AN EQUAL.

  • THAT IS SOMETHING, A GREAT LESSON THAT I HAVE LEARNED.

  • KATHERINE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE GIVEN

  • US, FOR WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CAREER, FOR

  • SHINING ON THE TALENTS OF OTHER PEOPLE, AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR

  • THIS WELL-DESERVED HONOR. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> THANK YOU, MARGOT. >> GYM I'M GOING TO GO OFF

  • SCRIPT HERE A LITTLE BIT. YOU'VE HEARD US MENTION ALAN

  • SHEPHERD'S FLIGHT AND JOHN GLENN'S FLIGHT.

  • YOU'VE HEARD US MENTION IT SEVERAL TIMES.

  • THAT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MATERIAL TO ADD,

  • THAT'S BECAUSE OF HOW IMPRESSED WE ARE.

  • THOSE OF US THAT DO THIS AND HAVE THOSE 40,000-FOOT

  • FACILITIES WITH LARGE COMPUTERS AND COMPUTATIONAL TOOLS, WE ARE

  • COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY AND AWED BY WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR

  • COLLEAGUES DID. WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR

  • THAT. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO CALL FORWARD MEL FEREBEE, AND THE

  • DIRECTOR OF OUR CENTER OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE,

  • LORETTA KELEMEN, FOR THE OFFICIAL UNVEILING OF THE PLAQUE

  • THAT COMMEMORATES THE NAMING OF THE KATHERINE G. JOHNSON

  • COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITY. KINDERGARTEN RAIN, I'LL READ THE

  • CITATION FROM THE PLAQUE, KATHERINE JOHNSON WAS HIRED AS A

  • RESEARCH MATHEMATICIAN AT LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER WHEN IT

  • WAS A LABORATORY OF THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR

  • AERONAUTICS, THE AGENCY THAT PRECEDED NASA.

  • HER INCOMPARABLE MATHEMATICAL SKILLS INFLUENCED EVERY MAJOR

  • SPACE PROGRAM FROM MERCURY THROUGH SPACE SHUTTLE.

  • SHE IS KNOWN ESPECIALLY FOR THE CALCULATIONS OF THE

  • 1961 TRAJECTORY FOR ALAN SHEPARD'S MERCURY

  • SPACECRAFT FLIGHT, FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE, THE

  • VERIFICATION OF JOHN GLENN'S 1962 MERCURY SPACECRAFT FLIGHT,

  • THE FIRST FLIGHT CALCULATION MADE BY AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER,

  • AND THE 1969 APOLLO 11 FLIGHT TO THE MOON.

  • DURING A CEREMONY AT THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2015, PRESIDENT

  • BARACK OBAMA PERSONALLY AWARDED HER THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF

  • FREEDOM, OUR NATION'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR.

  • KATHERINE, ON BEHALF OF NASA ADMINISTRATOR CHARLIE BOLDEN,

  • ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES HERE AT NASA LANGLEY, AND ALL NASA

  • EMPLOYEES PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT

  • YOU WITH THIS REPLICA OF THE PLAQUE.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] KATHERINE, THIS PLAQUE WILL BE

  • PERMANENTLY MOUNTED IN THE BUILDING'S LOBBY AS A REMINDER

  • OF ALL YOUR AMAZING CONTRIBUTIONS.

  • LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BEFORE WE #NAME?

  • >> THANK YOU. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDOF

  • DIRECTORS LED BY DR. DOROTHY BUCHANAN WILSON AND THE 300,000

  • LADY OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC., IT IS MY HONOR

  • TO PRESENT THESE ROSES TO OUR SORORITY MEMBER, DR. KATHERINE

  • JOHNSON. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BEFORE WE

  • CONCLUDE TODAY'S CEREMONY THERE IS ONE LAST PIECE OF OFFICIAL

  • BUSINESS WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF.

  • KATHERINE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE SUCCESS OF OUR NATION'S

  • HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT PROGRAM. SOME OF THE KEY HUMANS INVOLVED

  • IN THAT PROGRAM ARE THE ASTRONAUTS THEMSELVES.

  • PERHAPS MORE SO THAN ANYONE ELSE IT'S OUR NASA ASTRONAUTS WHO

  • HAVE AN IMMENSE APPRECIATION FOR WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THEM INTO

  • SPACE AND SAFELY HOME AGAIN, WHICH MIGHT BE WHY THE NASA

  • ASTRONAUT CORPS CREATED A SPECIAL AWARD TO RECOGNIZE THOSE

  • WHO HELP THEM DO THE AMAZING THINGS THAT THEY DO -- THE SPACE

  • FLIGHT AWARENESS SILVER SNOOPY AWARD.

  • AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE RETIRED ASTRONAUT AND

  • FORMER NASA LANGLEY ENGINEER LELAND MELVIN.

  • LELAND BEGAN WORKING HERE IN 1989 AND IN 1998 HE WAS SELECTED

  • INTO NASA'S ASTRONAUT CORPS AND WENT ON TO TWO SPACE FLIGHTS,

  • STS-122 IN 2008, AND STS-129 IN 2009, LOGGING MORE THAN

  • 565 HOURS IN SPACE. IN OCTOBER 2010, LELAND WAS

  • NAMED ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR NASA'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION.

  • HE RETIRED FROM NASA IN FEBRUARY 2014.

  • PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING LELAND TO THE STAGE.

  • [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.

  • THIS IS A VERY, VERY BEAUTIFUL DAY.

  • HEY, KATHERINE. [ LAUGHTER ]

  • I'M SO HONORED TO BE HERE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND

  • COMMUNITY. THIS NASA LANGLEY WAS MY FIRST

  • JOB OUT OF GRADUATE SCHOOL. AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAD

  • RETIRED -- SHE RETIRED IN 1986. I CAME ON IN 1989.

  • IT WASN'T LIKE SHE WAS RETIRED BECAUSE I SAW HER ALL THE TIME

  • AT MTA CONVENTIONS AND DOING MATH CONTESTS, INSPIRING YOUNG

  • GIRLS AND YOUNG BOYS TO BE GREAT MATHEMATICIANS AND S.A.T.

  • TUTORIALS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS.

  • SO SHE HELPED MOLD MY CAREER AND MENTORED ME AT A VERY YOUNG AGE

  • AS A PROFESSIONAL HERE AT NASA LANGLEY.

  • SO I'M JUST VERY HONORED AND PROUD TO HAVE ON NATIONAL

  • ASTRONAUT DAY BEING THE RECIPIENT OF THE WORK THAT SHE

  • DID TO GET ME TO SPACE SAFELY. AND I SAY THAT KATHERINE HAS

  • BEEN -- I CALL THIS A SHERO OF MINE, FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

  • AND HER DEDICATION, HER EXCELLENT TO PROFESSIONALISM AND

  • SOCIAL BARRIERS THAT SHE BROKE, AND FOR HER ONGOING COMMITMENT

  • TO INSPIRING THE FUTURE EXPLORERS LIKE MYSELF.

  • ASTRONAUT JEANNETTE EPPS WILL BE THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN

  • FEMALE TO FLY FROM KAZAKHSTAN TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

  • FOR A SIX-MONTH TOUR. SO THE LEGALLY THAT KATHERINE

  • JOHNSON HAS GIVEN US WILL HELP THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN

  • BE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN A FEW YEARS.

  • AND THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO HER WORK.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] AS CLAYTON TURNER MENTIONED, THE

  • SILVER SNOOPY IS A SPECIAL NASA AWARD GIVEN FOR PROFESSIONAL

  • EXCELLENCE IN VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HUMAN

  • SPACEFLIGHT PROGRAM. IT IS ALWAYS GIVEN BY A MEMBER

  • OF THE ASTRONAUT CORPS. BY THE WAY, WE HAVE ANOTHER

  • MEMBER POSSIBLY IN THE AUDIENCE IN NASA LANGLEY, DR. CHARLIE

  • KAMATA. IS CHARLIE HERE?

  • YEAH, ONE MORE TIME. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, BUT

  • HE WASN'T ON TIME. CHARLIE GOT INTO THE ASTRONAUT

  • CORPS AND THEN INSPIRED ME TO JOIN SOON AFTER THAT.

  • I WANTED TO GIVE PROPS TO HIM. ANOTHER LANGLEY GUY.

  • THOSE OF US COMPRISING NASA FLIGHT CREWS, ESPECIALLY THE

  • EARLY HEROES OF SPACEFLIGHT, SHEPHERD, GLENN, CRUZ OF APOLLO

  • 11, AND THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA,

  • RECOGNIZE THAT THE SUCCESS OF EACH MISSION IS MEASURED BY THE

  • DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE AND TEAMWORK OF SUCH PEOPLE LIKE

  • KATHERINE. HER EFFORTS DEMONSTRATED THAT

  • SHE WAS A VITAL LINK IN THE SUCCESS OF OUR SPACE PROGRAMS.

  • AND WE THANK YOU FOR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS.

  • KATHERINE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THIS EFFORT SINCE THE EARLIEST

  • DAYS OF ASTRONAUT TRAVEL UNTIL HER RETIREMENT FROM NASA

  • LANGLEY. KATHERINE, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO

  • PRESENT THE STERLING SILVER SNOOPY TO YOU IN APPRECIATION

  • FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE IN CALCULATING TRAJECTORIES IN

  • ORBITS OF AMERICA'S PIONEERING SPACEFLIGHTS.

  • YOU DEMONSTRATED THE TECHNICAL COMPETENCE, DEDICATION, AND

  • PRIDE THAT GUARANTEE MISSION SUCCESS.

  • THIS SILVER SNOOPY PIN WAS FLOWN ABOARD SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS IN

  • 2009 DURING MY SECOND MISSION, STS-129.

  • I'M HONORED TO BESTOW THIS RECOGNITION AS SUCH, ON SUCH A

  • WORTHY RECIPIENT AND DEAR FRIEND, DR. KATHERINE G.

  • JOHNSON. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> TESTING, ONE, TWO. I WANT TO SAY THAT A COUPLE OF

  • MONTHS AGO, I GAVE KATHERINE MY FLOWN PIN BECAUSE SHE HAD NOT

  • BEEN GIVEN A PIN YET. NOW WE'RE GOING TO SWAP PINS

  • WITH THE SILVER SNOOPY THAT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU RIGHT NOW.

  • THIS IS A LETTER OF APPRECIATION FOR PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION,

  • AND OUTSTANDING SUPPORT THAT GREATLY ENHANCED SPACEFLIGHT

  • SAFETY AND MISSION SUCCESS. IN RECOGNITION OF THESE

  • ACHIEVEMENTS AND AS A SYMBOL OF OUR SPECIAL THANKS, THE

  • ASTRONAUT TEAM PRESENTS ASTRONAUT'S PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT

  • AWARD TO KATHERINE G. JOHNSON, MAY 5th, 2016, ON ASTRONAUT DAY.

  • [ APPLAUSE ] >> IT IS MY PLEASURE TO RECEIVE

  • THE GIFT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, THE PRIZES YOU HAVE GIVEN ME.

  • I'VE ENJOYED RECEIVING THEM. AND THEY TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO

  • PUT A ROOM TO PUT THEM IN.

  • [ LAUGHTER ] WELL, I DO THANK YOU VERY MUCH

  • FOR YOUR ATTENTION, FOR YOUR KIND NOT.

  • MORE THAN THAT I'M SO HAPPY FOR GIVING MORE RECOGNITION TO

  • WOMEN. ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE

  • WHEN THEY NOTICED TO WRITE DOWN WHAT I HAD WORKED ON.

  • I THINK I HAD 20 PAGES. AT THE TIME IT WAS JUST ANOTHER

  • DAY'S WORK. I HAVE ALWAYS DONE MY BEST, AND

  • I ASK THE YOUNG LADIES HERE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MAJORING IN

  • MATH, THAT'S WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT MATH, IT GIVES YOU A RIGHT AND A

  • WRONG. THE BEST THEME IN THE WORLD, BUT

  • WHO'S GOING TO SAY WHO WROTE IT, YOU KNOW.

  • BUT IF YOU'VE GOT AN ANSWER TO A PROBLEM THAT SOMEBODY ELSE HAS

  • WORKED ON, YOURS IS THE ANSWER. THAT IS IMPORTANT.

  • SO I THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT WOMEN HAVE LONG BEEN DOING

  • A LOT OF THE WORK. [ LAUGHTER ]

  • [ APPLAUSE ] >> AMEN.

  • >> AND YOU WOULD JUST LOOK AT ME AND SEE -- AND YOU DO YOUR

  • SHARE, DO YOUR BEST AT ALL TIMES, TOO, BECAUSE YOU LIKE IT.

  • I LIKE WORK. I LIKE LEARNING.

  • THERE'S A BOY WHOSE FATHER IS HERE, WHO IS GOING TO TEACH ME

  • SPANISH BECAUSE I SPOKE -- I WANTED TO SPEAK SPANISH.

  • WE'RE ALL SPEAKING SPANISH. EVERY TIME HE COMES TO SEE ME

  • WHICH IS NECESSARILY OFTEN NOW THAT I HAVE MOVED, BUT HE COMES

  • AND GIVES ME A SPANISH LESSON KNOWING THAT I LIKE LEARNING.

  • SO I ASK YOU TO ENJOY LEARNING, WANT TO LEARN, AND YOU WILL DO

  • IT, AND YOU WILL USE EVERY BIT OF IT AT SOME TIME.

  • WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT 50 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY ASKED ME HOW

  • FAR WERE WE ON A MOON ON A CERTAIN DAY, I COULD OPEN A NO

  • CONFIDENCE VOTEBOOK AND TELL HIM.

  • YOU COULD DO IT EASILY ENOUGH. ALL THE TIME SOMEBODY WANT TO

  • KNOW SOMETHING. HELP THEM.

  • HELP ANYBODY YOU CAN HELP. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU ARE

  • HELPING, BUT THEY WILL APPRECIATE IT, AND SO WILL YOU

  • LATER. THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING.

  • >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >> YOU'VE GIVEN ME.

  • >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • >> NEXT YEAR WE CELEBRATE OUR CENTENNIAL, THE FIRST NASA

  • CENTER TO DO SO. FOR ALMOST 100 YEARS IT HAS BEEN

  • PEOPLE LIKE KATHERINE, AND THEIR CURIOSITY, PASSION AND

  • BRILLIANCE THAT HAVE HELPED TO SOLVE SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT

  • CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME. WE TAKE IMMENSE PRIDE IN THE

  • WORK OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US, AND WE CELEBRATE OUR STORIED

  • PAST BY HONORING THEM AND THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

  • WE ARE ALSO INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR SOARING FUTURE.

  • THE KATHERINE G. JOHNSON COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITY

  • WILL HELP CARRY THIS CENTER, ITS PEOPLE AND THE AWE-INSPIRING

  • WORK THAT WE DO INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.

  • KATHERINE, THANK YOU IS NOT ENOUGH.

  • THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ]

  • LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS CONCLUDES OUR CEREMONY.

  • THANK YOU FOR COMING AND PLEASE JOIN US FOR A RECEPTION TO

  • CONTINUE THE CELEBRATION OF TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT.

  • WE HAVE CAKE AND PUNCH -- CAKE, IT'S SOUTHERN, NOT BEING CHEAP.

  • THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU.

>>> OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M CLAYTON TURNER, DEPUTY

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