[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 146 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H5463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CELEBRATING NASA'S HIDDEN FIGURES CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL RECIPIENTS

  (Mrs. BEATTY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise with passion and pride as an 
Ohioan to celebrate yesterday's Congressional Gold Medal recipients: 
Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dr. Christine 
Darden, and all of the brilliant women who powered NASA's success 
during the space race.
  Katherine Johnson's calculation made the Moon landing possible. 
Dorothy Vaughan became NASA's first Black supervisor. Mary Jackson 
broke barriers as NASA's first Black female engineer, and Dr. Christine 
Darden revolutionized supersonic flight.
  Known as hidden figures, they calculated rocket trajectories, Earth 
orbits, and solved complex problems. Their genius was hidden by the 
shadows of segregation. They were the brains behind one of the greatest 
operations in history: the launch of Ohio astronaut and former U.S. 
Senator, John Glenn, into orbit.
  Mr. Speaker, let us continue to honor their legacy in the days ahead.

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