Hidden Figures, Pan Am and STEM

Released on December 25, 2016, the movie Hidden Figures is the true story of African American mathematician Katherine Johnson and her two assistants Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson and their work with NASA in launching the first Americans into space. 

In 1953, Katherine Johnson accepted a position as a teacher and "human computer" with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Later in 1958, NACA became NASA, and Johnson transitioned into a new role responsible for creating the equations and performing calculations necessary for manned space flight. During Johnson's early years at NASA, she found allies and those who refused to work with a woman, especially an African American woman. Johnson's intellect, determination, and assertiveness eventually resulted in her becoming the first woman in NASA to have her name attached to a NASA report that she was responsible for publishing.

On February 20 1962, American Astronaut John Glenn lifted-off into low earth orbit aboard his Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7. Glenn was the 3rd American to fly into space, spending more time in orbit than anyone else up until that flight. Before Glenn's historic flight he requested Katherine Johnson, who had built her reputation as one of NASA's premiere mathematicians, to verify the orbital trajectory calculations performed by a computer. "Get the girl to check the numbers...if she says the numbers are good [then] I'm ready to go." 

Johnson would go on to work on the Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs, finally retiring from NASA in 1986.    

Just as Katherine Johnson's work with NASA undoubtedly played an important role in America's manned space program, so did Pan American World Airways. Pan Am was no stranger to building and maintaining infrastructure where none existed before. Before World War II, Pan Am constructed a series of airfields along with supporting facilities across the Pacific Ocean, allowing its fleet of flying-boat Clippers to travel from the West Coast United States to the Asian mainland. During World War Two, Pan Am's experience in building operational airfield facilities in far-flung places was put to the test by the United States government all across South America and Africa. During the Eisenhower administration, Pan Am was contracted to manage an Air Force missile testing facility. In 1953, Pan Am would create a separate subsidy to manage its missile work with the Air Force and later NASA, known as the Guided Missiles Range Division, and later, the Aerospace Services Division.  

Pan Am won contracts to maintain rocket facilities at Cape Canaveral and operate ocean-based tracking platforms for spacecraft through the 1960's and 1970's. In the 1980's, as NASA was planning to launch regular shuttle flights, possibly as many as 40 per year, they expressed interested in Pan Am's flight training program, which had arguably produced the airline industry's safest pilots and flight crews. 

Part of the Pan Am Museum Foundation's mission is to encourage America's students to continue in the footsteps of pioneers such as Katherine Johnson. The Foundation seeks to assist students who are looking to excel in and pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The Pan American Museum Foundation strives to continue Pan Am's legacy in supporting America's aerospace industry through its youth Educational Program and STEM Education. 

For more information about the Pan Am Museum Foundation and its Educational Programming visit www.thepanammuseum.org. 

Subscribe to the official Education Blog of the Pan Am Museum Foundation by submitting your email address in the "Follow by Email" box at the top of this page. 

Sources and additional Information: 

Katherine Johnson:

- "The Woman the Mercury Astronauts Couldn't Do Without" Detailed article published by Nautilus about the role of Katherine Johnson in the Mercury manned space program. 

- "Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson" Biography about Katherine Johnson by J. J. O'Connor and E. F. Robinson of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. 

John Glenn:

- "Glenn Orbits Earth" Official NASA account of John Glenn's Mercury 7 flight published in 2012.   

Pan Am: 

-"Pan Am and the Race to Space" Article by Doug Miller about the involvement of Pan Am in America's rocket and space program. Published by the Pan Am Historical Foundation  

-"Pan American World Airways Flight Training Presentation to NASA"- This is a record of a presentation made by Pan Am's Director of B-747 Training, Capt. Roy Butler, to NASA. 

-"Pan Am, United Take Shot at Space" Article about Pan Am's bid to maintain the U.S. Space Shuttle Fleet. 

-IAP company history page- IAP is the current owner of the former Pan Am World Services division, once responsible for maintaining NASA rocket ranges.