Dorothy Vaughan was the first African American manager at NACA/NASA ( NASA was originally NACA but changed to NASA. Dorothy was there when it was both.) She contributed to many calculations and projects at NACA and NASA. (Shetterly Hidden Figures and NASA biography).
Dorothy Johnson Vaughan was born on September 20, 1910 in Kansas City, Missouri. Her parents were Annie and Leonard Johnson. Her mom died when she was only two years old. Her dad then remarried a few years later. Her stepmom wanted her to go far in life. She even taught Dorothy how to read before she started school. When Dorothy was eight years old, her family moved to Morgantown, West Virginia. (Shetterly; Hidden Figures).
Dorothy went to Beechurst High School in Morgantown, West Virginia. She graduated in 1925 at the top of her class. She earned a full scholarship to the oldest black private school, Wilberforce University located near Xenia, Ohio. Four years later, in 1929, she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in mathematics.( Shetterly Hidden Figures and NASA biography).…show more content… He told her about Howard University in Washington, D.C. and though it was a good place for her to continue her studies. However, she declined because her parents were having financial issues. Instead she got a job so her younger sister could have the same opportunities as her. (Shetterly Hidden Figures and NASA biography). After college, Dorothy went out in the real world and was looking for work. Since she was interested in math, one of the only jobs allowing her to work with math, was becoming a math teacher. She found a teaching opportunity in Tamms, Illinois. Not even a year later, the school was closed because the town was not getting enough money from their cotton farms. ( Shetterly Hidden Figures and NASA
