[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 162 (Wednesday, October 26, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1940-E1941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DR. KATHERINE GOBLE JOHNSON FOR CONTRIBUTIONS DURING HER 33-
 YEAR CAREER AS AN AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIST AT THE NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH 
 CENTER IN HAMPTON, VA AND HER EFFORTS TO HELP AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUTH 
                 ENTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CAREERS

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 26, 2011

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. 
Katherine Goble Johnson. Dr. Johnson, a retired 33-year employee of the 
NASA Langley Research Center is to be honored at a banquet on Saturday, 
October 29, 2011, and I would like to take a moment to recognize some 
of her numerous accomplishments.

[[Page E1941]]

  Born in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, it was apparent from 
very early on that Dr. Johnson was driven to succeed. The local schools 
only offered classes to African Americans through the eighth grade, so 
Dr. Johnson's father enrolled her and her siblings in a school 125 
miles from their home. Taking full advantage of this educational 
opportunity, Dr. Johnson graduated high school at the age of 14. Dr. 
Johnson then went on to study at West Virginia State College, now West 
Virginia University. In 1937 at the age of 18, she graduated Summa Cum 
Laude with majors in Mathematics and French. She continued her 
education at West Virginia University with further studies in 
Mathematics and Physics.
  Dr. Johnson began her career in education as a teacher, a job that 
she held for seven years. She eventually relocated to Newport News 
where, in 1953, Dr. Johnson began her work at the NASA Langley Research 
Center, where she would go on to have a great impact on studies 
relating to various projects over the course of her career.
  When hired in 1953, like almost all women at NASA, Dr. Johnson was 
hired to perform technical calculations. Women of African American 
heritage were typically assigned to all black ``computer pools.'' 
Within weeks of her entry in the NASA ranks, Dr. Johnson was asked to 
temporarily assist in the Spacecraft Dynamics Branch in the Flight 
Dynamics and Control Division. She never returned to her ``computer 
pool.''
  Dr. Johnson went on to help calculate the trajectories flown by the 
1969 Apollo spacecraft that landed on the moon and to coauthor 21 NASA 
reports and professional conference papers at a time when those who 
performed calculations were typically not named as participants. 
According to Dr. Johnson, even after computers began to be used to 
calculate the orbits of Mercury capsules, John Glenn called on her to 
verify the computers' calculations.
  Throughout the course of her career, Dr. Johnson has been the 
recipient of numerous awards, including the NASA Lunar Orbiter 
Achievement Award, the NASA Apollo Team Group Achievement Award, three 
NASA Special Achievement Awards, an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the 
State University of New York, honorary Doctor of Science degrees from 
Capitol College and Old Dominion University, and she was honored by the 
National Technical Association as ``Mathematician of the Year'' in 
1997.
  Dr. Johnson has also been featured in various ``Who's Who'' lists 
throughout her career. She has been honored in the Philadelphia 
Electric Company's Exhibit honoring 24 black inventors and scientists 
at the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum, the Department of 
Energy's ``Black Contributor's to Science and Energy Technology'' list, 
and Time Life's Series entitled African-Americans: Voices in Triumph 
Leadership Volume.
  A member and leader of many organizations, Dr. Johnson has served as 
Treasurer of the National Technical Association both on the local and 
national level, as President of the of the Lambda Omega Chapter of the 
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and as a Trustee and Elder at Carver 
Memorial Presbyterian Church in Newport News, Virginia, where she 
continues to be a dedicated member.
  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize and commend Dr. 
Katherine Goble Johnson today for her service to the United States, to 
her community, and to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

                          ____________________