Annie J. Easley was a computer scientist, mathematician, and rocket scientist who liked to call herself a “human computer”. Her career began in 1955 with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (the predecessor to NASA.) She “was part of a team responsible for calculating (by hand, mind you) the complex mathematical functions needed by scientists.”[1] Her “34-year career included developing and implementing computer code that analyzed alternative power technologies, supported the Centaur high-energy upper rocket stage, determined solar, wind and energy projects, identified energy conversion systems and alternative systems to solve energy problems.”[2]
As one of the first African Americans computer scientists to work for NASA, she unfortunately had to deal with discrimination. But she never let that slow her down or discourage her from doing her job well. Annie said in an interview, “when people have their biases and prejudices, yes, I am aware. My head is not in the sand. But my thing is, if I can’t work with you, I will work around you. I was not about to be so discouraged that I’d walk away. That may be a solution for some people, but it’s not mine. So yes, I’m sure, I, like many others, have been judged not on what I can do, but on what I look like. So yes, I’m aware that that has happened. But, as I said, I would not let that get me down.” [3]
Thanks to her dedication and work, many of her early developments and technological discoveries are used today for energy conservation, hybrid vehicles, shuttle launches, and satellites.
To learn more about Annie Easley, check out the transcript of her 2001 NASA oral history interview!
Work Cited:
[2]”Easley, Annie J.: American Computer Scientist” in World of Computer Science. Brigham Narin, Ed. (Detroit, MI: Gales Group), 2002. p. 210.
[3] http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/NASA_HQ/Herstory/EasleyAJ/AJE_8-21-01.pdf