Mary Jackson, American Mathematician and Aerospace Engineer
Mary Winston Jackson (April 9, 1921 - February 11, 2005) was an African-American mathematician and aerospace engineer at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Mary Jackson earned bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physical science from Hampton University in 1942. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha. She started as a computer at the segregated West Area Computing division. She worked at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, for most of her career. She took advanced engineering classes and, in 1958, became NASA's first black female engineer. After 34 years at NASA, Jackson had earned the most senior engineering title available. She realized she could not earn further promotions without becoming a supervisor. She accepted a demotion to become a manager of both the Federal Women’s Program, in the NASA Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, and of the Affirmative Action Program. In this role, she worked to influence both the hiring and promotion of women in NASA's science, engineering, and mathematics careers. Jackson was married to Levi Jackson Sr, and had two children. Jackson served for more than 30 years as a Girl Scout leader. She died in 2005 at the age of 83. No photographer credited, undated.
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