>>> 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 [ 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.