WASHINTON DC (WVDN) – In remembering Eddie Bernice Johnson, former Congresswoman of Texas (D), who chaired the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and who initially introduced the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R.1396) on Feb. 27, 2019, the Gold Medal Act was fully implemented on Sept. 18, when Congress will finally hold the medal presentation ceremony in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Representative Johnson sadly passed away in Dallas on Dec. 31, 2023, at 89, after serving in Congress for nearly 30 years. Upon House passage, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) stated, “Thank you to my good friend, House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, for introducing this bill.”
The bipartisan bill was also introduced in the U.S. Senate (S.590) by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) on Feb. 27, 2019. Former Senator (now Vice President and Presidential Candidate) Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) were included among the 62 original cosponsors in the Senate. Representative Frank D. Lucas (R-OK) was an original cosponsor in the House.
The Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act was signed into law on Nov. 8, 2019 (P.L. 116-68). The law authorized the award of Congressional Gold Medals for Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, and to award a Congressional Gold Medal to honor all of the women – known as NASA’s Human Computers – who contributed to the success of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during the Space Race. The law called for the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of the gold medals, on behalf of Congress. It has unfortunately taken nearly 5 years for the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medals to these heroic women of NASA who helped our nation win the Space Race.
The lost story of NASA’s African American women human computers was finally brought to light thanks to the landmark book, “Hidden Figures,” by Margot Lee Shetterly, and the subsequent movie by the same name. Known as the Woman of the 20th Century, Katherine Johnson’s unprecedented mathematical calculations of orbital mechanics, calculating trajectories, at NASA were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S.-crewed spaceflights, including the Apollo missions. Her contributions to the space program were extremely instrumental to its success (including her mathematical brilliance against electronic computers). They led to ultimately helping the U.S. win the Space Race – from Alan Shepard’s historic first flight to John Glenn’s orbits in 1962 to the calculation of the trajectory for the historic first successful crewed 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing and subsequent Apollo missions, to the Space Shuttle program and the Earth Resources Satellite. Even after her passing on Feb. 24, 2020, at the age of 101, Katherine Johnson’s work is still used to further the success of space exploration today!
Let us all express our thanks and deep appreciation to the “Hidden Figures” women of NASA and honor the memory of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for spearheading the effort that led to Congressional recognition of the Human-Computer women who helped save our nation during a critical period of America’s history!
