Gladys west biography

American mathematician (born )

Gladys Mae West (née Brown; born October 27, ) is an American mathematician. She is known for her contributions to mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models, that were later incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS). West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in West was awarded the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for the development of satellite geodesy models.

Early life and education

Gladys Mae Brown was born in Sutherland, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, a rural county south of Richmond. Her family was an African-American farming family in a community of sharecroppers. She spent much of her childhood working on her family's small farm. As well as working on the farm, her mother worked in a tobacco factory and her father worked for the railroad. West saw education as her way to a different life.

At West's high school, the top two students from each graduating class received full scholarships to Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), a historically black public university. West graduated as valedictorian in , and received the scholarship. At VSU, West chose to study mathematics, a subject that was mostly studied at her college by men. She also joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. West graduated in with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, and then taught math and science for two years in Waverly, Virginia. West returned to VSU to complete a Master of Mathematics degree, graduating in Afterward, she began another teaching position in Martinsville, Virginia.

Career

In , West was hired to work

Gladys Mae West is an American mathematician known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of the satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS). West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in

West was born as Gladys Mae Brown in Sutherland, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, a rural county south of Richmond. Her family was an African-American farming family in a community of sharecroppers, and she spent much of her childhood working on her family's small farm. Her mother worked at a tobacco factory, and her father was a farmer who also worked for the railroad. West's parents were both huge inspirations for her and led her to the strong and driven woman that West is seen to be in history today. West realized early on that she did not want to work in the tobacco fields or factories like the rest of her family, and decided that education would be her way out.

When West was on her way to graduate high school, the only obstacle keeping her from higher education was a financial one. Her parents tried their best to save but supporting an entire family on a sharecropper's wage didn't leave much left for West's education. West began babysitting to help save but ultimately, her superior academic performance made the difference. At West's high school, the top two students of each graduating class received full-ride scholarships to Virginia State College (now formally University), a historically black public university. West, with her determination and discipline, graduated valedictorian in and received the much needed scholarship. She was initially unsure what college major to pursue at VSU, as she had excelled in all her subjects in

Dr. Gladys West is a mathematician whose calculations and computer programming helped construct a geoid (a mathematical model of the earth’s shape). West’s modeling directly contributed to the ubiquitous use of the global positioning system (GPS) today.

Born on October 27, , Gladys Mae Brown resided in Sutherland, Virginia in rural Dinwiddie County. Her parents owned their small farm and West picked corn, cotton, and tobacco from the time she was young. Early on, West’s teachers encouraged her love of mathematics, which she pursued as a path out of agricultural work. As valedictorian of her high school class, she earned a full scholarship to Virginia State College (now Virginia State University).

After graduating in , West applied for a host of government jobs. In a field dominated by white men in a segregated state, her efforts were initially unsuccessful. Instead, West taught mathematics in Martinsville, Virginia, while pursing graduate work. In , she received a master’s in mathematics from her alma mater. She continued to apply to government jobs and received her first offer from the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory in Dahlgren, Virginia in , where she worked until retirement in

At Dahlgren, West was the second Black woman hired and the fourth Black employee. Another Black mathematician on base, Ira V. West, became Gladys Brown’s husband in ; they recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. West and her husband raised three children, took part in social life on the base, and attended a local Baptist church. They maintained their jobs, family, and social commitments by employing a full-time housekeeper.

After some training in computer programming, West’s work at Dahlgren began with the Naval Ordinance Research Calculator (NORC). In she helped program NORC for Project 29V, which established the motion of the planet Pluto relative to Neptune, through 5 billion arithmetic calculations and hours of computer calculation. In the Navy recognized Project 29V