people. .. but >> on. >>

the another addition to help but share the dirty of uprooted this story of the intersection of the civil rights era this space race to the cold war and genders equality. what have been done this date? and the september 8.

far the founder of the few men computer project in the recipient of the virginia foundation and the humanities grant for the history of women in the end computing. virginia woolf would said ahoy from a novice n history

was usually a will then. i will say that again. but tonight brilliant women are ominous no more. made that names of the l. levin who contributed to this space race finally recede their dues. now i want to remind everyone that to be here at the book signing the will be here after words and the great hall. and c-span would ask me to say they ask for no flash photography. did we will cleo to the bcf

did invite you to make history with us. it is with great pleasure and honor that i introduce my friend. [applause] >> thanks for that nbc introduction. banks to the head tennis history museum has been incredibly supportive since the beginning it back, the cavity place better to publicly launched this endeavor then here in hampton frigidaire.

one o dash for gesso thanks for coming in out tonight. it is a wonderful thing was that this zedillo is taking place here at st. john's because the started six years ago also in a church in downtown with my homer church where i grew up in iowa city in a pew with parents the who and mine has bid interview weifang former sunday school teacher about her career as a mathematician -- mathematician. none of us had an idea at the time that first interview would turn into all of this.

life first book can a movie. as exciting as it has bent to have that level of a busy as them, but the most gratifying part has been a learning about my home town that there is so much that i did not know about the people who lived here so friday in the book for be is a way to tell my story to trace my path through the lives of the ground-breaking levin. this is by history this is your history that belongs to all of us. the thrilling part of a hard and painful part. so the fact that we are here in this church across from the hampstead history museum from believe research center

for the archaeological remains with the first autonomous black settlement and simply could not be more fitting zedillo. following the lives of four african american women. [applause] and i am so pleased to let you know that many of the family buber's -- members are here. did many other women that worked with them off.

postal them to the history are here so i can share it. we worshipers socialized or taught by them that we have learned a tremendous amount of some lessons have the uh list the could fill another book by what i would like to decide is tonight is the following never allow fear of curiosity. said the humans into space

that is possible to land to muzzle the moon in greenbacks if they. and then do the calculations to get them there and that's is the work dash catherine received from the work that she did on a general -- john klan's groundbreaking flight. so people of all backgrounds that even today 47 years earlier we have to stop and marvel.

it is incredible what is possible would take the best minds among last to allow imaginations to read free. so as told through the eyes of the african-american women in stories of their lives to tell a series of other stories. world war two to transform our city and society with each today's of the cold war of hope that conflict of the civil-rights movement and the great strides all women have made legally, socially and economically over the course of the 20th century for gulf scores of black women are mathematicians. there verso many names.

there are sold many of them. pet their part of a larger cohort of white women want and these women forever valedictorians and very smart women that they thought the upper at the mouth decrees to work they received a fraction of the credits they deserve in the '70s and '80s blacks women work together with colleagues to create opportunities for talented but of all backgrounds. the organization that i started with a human computer project has the

remains of all with good to work as mathematicians and engineers. not just that lately but all of the installations over the years. so to encourage o two get in touch with me. but if you gotta names of women or neighbors let me tell of above to be in touch with all with an all-star is have a beginning and they've been ill and did end.

and the of the results of this history that happens here my father in is retired black mother is retired as a history professor and is a proud one product of the hampton city schools that now takes steps men and women but that first be day -- meeting led me to ask the question how did this all began did? had in the end of working gas the? it was came momentum at the same time borne in the 32 year was taking center stage and become redo and as the

civil-rights movement. we'll before the start of us space program and a civil-rights leader led a campaign to end the discrimination against african-americans to benefit and many as if people left out of the new jobs. and in may 1943 to years after roosevelt executive order that they were working yes mathematicians at that aeronautical laboratory. so when i would like to do is read from the chapter of the book. this is how the story

begins. as i am reading remember it all happened here and he opted for judea. low dash heeled did for judea. deborah one. the person officer at the aeronautical library had a problem that they 1940 the civil services chief of field operations this establishment has a urgent need one for 100, jr. physicists and mathematicians of 100 assists a computer 75 mitre laboratories when hundred 25 helpers' 30 stenographers everybody a 7:00 in the morning to dispatch to the local rail depot to collect

the of bed and a dominant that have made their way to the virginia coast. , making their way to the laboratory services upstairs whiskey than through the for sandoz and those of office. defend the constitution from the united states foreign and domestic. and to take place is in the research facilities but agnos suitor did the laboratories have a procurement and bilbao new employees. the stockrooms and workshops

the blood came up with a bright idea to jerry rick to squeeze three workers were. since the four years that the troops overran poland in the european war converged and conflict with 500 employees but yet the of war machine remains of grief for more. but look at the airfield only with civilians had did to the laboratory at the national advisory committee for aeronautics this digression alone brick buildings by the u.s. are be airforce.

they had a grown-up to gather for america's military airpower the civilian agency charged and the scientific understanding of aeronautics since the beginning, the army allowed laboratories and a serve as a constant reminder and every experiment has real growth implications. so standing side-by-side to deceive those fbi is with the shady interior from the elements. and to pollinate.

did to become law with sam the music side link to the various movements that each machine as a baby's cry as the laboratory with a tunnel the model plane did just two years prior to challenge the nation to ramp up production it seems impossible task that is recently as 1838 provided the army air corps. but now american is aircraft

easily surpassing by more than half and becomes the largest industry in the world the most productive and sophisticated 54 then three times. did through those mechanisms to transport the troops to the combat zones and for the shift c. key -- seeking with that preflight check the to roll up the sleeves with the improperly locked and faulty take quite. at&t is an even before m. responded the varied dna

from the engines that were manipulated to be recombined by dg dear's next door. with aircraft ready factures place the newly conceived flying machines into production said that the design could be tested and approved. every high performance aircraft model in the edits states be have the wind tunnels with the unneeded week geometry with the old family doctors to examine every aspect. and those test pilots with the engineer friday shotgun. painted a roller stall?

or a sharpie card with a bad real crooks to capture it analyzed the numbers. but even to add up to a difference with the allies' favor. victory through air power. of the airplane? victory through air power with the chess world wheat with to pressure until the eyes are tired one but a victory would be there. of less of course, will then failed to see the three ships sedation up wabash six

ships in day but each engineer requires others for the of mechanics to maintain the tunnels to process that has issued from the research. what is the bundle of physics? the math and mathematicians one and they had met when. but starting in 1935. but how could a female mind process something that is rigorous and precise as that? [laughter] but that barry did to invest $500 can be used by a girl. but the girls have been

good. but the head computer runs laps at the down the east coast. to matriculate one for those hundreds of open positions with those bottles makers and even mathematicians. with those entire class's of math graduates with the greensboro college for women

but to leave on the civil code of the manpower commission that the laboratory gets the top priority of the qualified applicants. and with the daily press. to reduce household duties rose those ever previously filled by been called the aeronautical laboratory. are there members as they gain supremacy. those that would like to do before and more pdf to ensure the war into the military service with with an olivetti did dabney and

the of the labor market as the war workers themselves in the form of another man's problem a. philip randolph the head of the largest black labor union in the country opened into negro applicants to bring 100,000 to the nation's capital for go flu the hell is this guy randolph clacks olive dash? a tall black and the close friend headed under 35,000 strong. waiting on passengers

providing a measure that civil-rights relate to civil-rights they fought tirelessly par americans to participate filled moat dash fairly. twenty years into the future with another march on washington to a young charismatic minister into martin luther key to your. to associate the black freedom movement ended 1941 every aspect of this society toward war for the second time in less than 30 years randolph addition that would pry open in the door since the end of reconstruction.

did executive order in the defense industry 946 to monitor the national project to prime the pump to come into the production process. year in the two years after the showdown as laboratory personal request applicants of qualified female candidates into the l.a. glee service bill they for consideration for the laboratory personnel. that requirement instituted andrew did illustration was struck down as they tried to dismantle discrimination but the applicants album matter pressed for j.d. state

university of the agricultural mechanical as dennis institute of all the gross schools. if anything they came to the job with more experience after having had been years of teaching experience atop of math and science degrees. then they would have the experienced girl someone whose disposition with the lsi the the laboratory that was more wilderness than anything it is just nothing. as with the personnel department with around-the-clock pressure

the edge of tears would welcome these. and with that racial issue 22 that mathematical challenge. so just across the bay required no imagination on his part to think of the ada to integrate negro women to come here with their strange ways. there has always been a negro employees with the ground keepers' but with those professional peers is something you. with no fanfare. and to break down the laboratory that maybe bill

finn but there was progressive that the time to carry out the duty. so they kept him from truly progressing and perhaps that segregated office was just a cover that he needed to get and the door. but whatever the personal feelings he was a man loyal to the laboratory to the world view and charge during the of war by nature and it mandate for was all about practical solutions for crowfoot so herewith a phillip randolph to with a superior organize a skills to lead the foundation of the '60s that is known as the civil rights movement that there is no way that randolph or anyone else

could have predicted that higher rate of black female mathematicians at the aeronautical laboratory. shrouded from view to crush the notion that it was a physical impossibility. electronic calculating devices to unthinkable to vengeance. when it refused to leave the american workplace forever changing the medium of women's work. for full access to the founding ideals to not be moved. to walking into lately in 1943 to five cells in the intersection of a great transformation can to big to what the united states is one of the greatest victories.

1943 responded to the needs of care can how to add another item to the requisition list to spare the words colored girl. [applause] >> this is how the story begins. i will not tell you everything but. [laughter] but everything that happened in between hopefully you will enjoy reading that. i thought it might be interested to open in the floor to any questions you may have that this time.

>> raise your hands the microphone will, to you. >> with the civil service that paid depended on your grade if you were hired then you would be hired with the others did but the issue in is getting hired into the of level so it wasn't always the case that they were hired at the same level actually in the very beginning as dorothy to was hired at the t1a level as the male engineers. but there were definitely e

exceptions but in general black or white or otherwise were paid less than men. [laughter] >> i am so fascinated by your research i will buy two books. i have a question about the book? could you read that because i am friday gal fascinating thing is. did that sophisticated editions did i am just so

proud of you. >> a book that came out last year that tells the story of this many african-american in juniors be. also a book that came wan that tells the story of a of a group of whether working yet the jet propulsion laboratory that is now a part of an asset n pasadena california. it is exciting those who worked in the space program and did aeronautics are starting to come to life right now. >> i also very proud but

what was the of one say that the anecdote that you came across? >> there were so many. for example, there is the cold for tied to lately with san digit year and he left 1946 to go to the laboratory. and with the rosenberg spy case they were executed with so ashley to be put on a trial to be convicted of perjury the government charged to with russian

secrets so that is fascinating because the fbi came to get them talking to people stores taking that the people were communist i

really like the earth. [laughter] but what'd is continuing to do is important but what is interesting and very exciting that right now on bass up except the mantle to push forward to go to mars is exciting. but in terms of supersonic transport off so i may not be the first passenger but i seek that work is continuing .

pdf. >> colleague from finnish she the book how did that happen grex. >> that is a very interesting egress to and. but from the very beginning people have to respond strega -- strongly that hasted do with the strength of the of women and the fact but there was a with enough scores of black women in the total group so that was more than 1,000 so the idea so indeed the that we know about women with. [laughter]

for those that respond to it that my literary agent got the book proposal into the hands of producers and was blown away by the fact she had not heard the story. and i have that ready to catch up since then. i had a parallel track and what is so exciting for me about that coming it is right and insole happy that there is some magic to see as of for the book. and i know there will be in even greater audience because of the booth be. but it has spent a ride for share.

>> after world war ii but right after the war there was a cutback slated but at the event of the day they made a cut of all the 30 employees to return home to

the jobs that they only had to cut 30 people so in the next 12 months they started recruiting again wanted particular for more within one -- women so that coincided with 1947 and the army to be consolidated and there was that speculation after world war i to go through this depression with so many newspaper articles and the cold war started and it turned into one of the centers of the military industrial complex.

and laid we went along with that. but it did not see before the research with the white or the black women and is seen to get around. with the black churches or the of lounges and those who have math degrees. >> i know that mom and dad are proud. have few chances -- have a chance to gutted to view the whole movie? is an action or is it accurate?

laugh laugh i and a historian said that they take it as the gospel truth. >> data so we want to know. but they are excited about that to make sure that it is definitely by to you very aura the previews. there still were key on it. but for me werke on the book i have to let go of the fact i was righty a nonfiction book verses the of movie that had to get people into the theater to capture the essence and then come back

safely within two hours one. [laughter] so i talk pretty close with of people who are producers of that of movie and i had a hard time that you cannot fill a book. patel that bluish to refuse the calculation so that is the of momentum that has been recounted many times to

save mrs. johnson himself so that was the right decision to take one of the law highlights instead of the entire book. >> congratulations. so many people together. from your research. i am happy to be here because it breaks people together because they used to serve dinner to provide food from hampstead institute salute what have no back said what she was

really all about? and raised these of these same children. but sitting next to people that are not only connected to the people in your story story, but also that are connected to you and dee be. and this person sitting over here and i guarantee they did not build a had a connection with each other with your book can research if they just realized through conversation had passion with research and history that we are all

connected so much. and to provide another way to realize that they're all really connected. that is part of this story that grieg's laude end clear anti-guarantee those have been connected to somebody they would raise their he did. [applause] >> dx4 previous all together. to go from all across the country i also want to ask will there be a premier here for the movie? laugh laugh. [applause]

>> that is the question. but not just from ballet greece search center of the very beginning and i cannot think that we enough at the very supportive to view what they can to make sure it is the core of the story to participate in the excitement. to have friends and relatives upon the screen. for those that address into

major. >> my question is enacted after first baptist church as a discussion with the sunday school teacher, what specifically that day? and then to worship together you know, that have growing up but what happens that particular sunday? >> is something gatt i write about and it had bids that my husband and i did december 2010 we went to

church that sunday and spoke with i said this schoolteacher to talk about her and uh conversation return to other women and some of the work that they did that i heard an odd kind of a new but i have spent and who was not from here was like waving a minute. can you please tell me this story again plaques sola them this had that experience it is taken for granted the talent that is there and this was the case of something happening and to force the to appreciate

uh community but then ascii the question that is what happened. [applause] >> also for righty the book with the african-american museum to be featured at the bookstore there at the african-american museum. the question is alive be speaking at the african-american museum? i am working through uh details and i am hoping that washington d.c. will be among them.

>> i know that you are background is by nancy and piat end journalism's so what was your experience with kodak into history? >> and as someone who has a background in business will was the experience i begin to history? this so many of these are separate from science or humanities and it is all different kind. but i thought of myself as somebody as a torture

producer and -- an odd to produce or ended is so fascinating. i love to make gold is paper articles -- newspaper articles and even read the writing skills. that certainly helped me want i've loved every minute of it. i don't think this is old but give us the story of john glenn. would please? [laughter] >> is a request to recounting of the most well-known anecdote to this particular history in this end the book but and over

the last 50 years and the catherine johnson with the orbital mission of the john clad flight would dash john glenn fight and it as you know, way a computer we've the cab as electronic hardware. so in the advent of the dermis electronic calculating machines a computer was somebody that computed enactment somebody that wore a skirt. so when the electronic computers started to be used more widely for a government

applications it took awhile for people to trust to figure out how to use them to all understand. after the research as part of the space program could be done by the of with bid in the book if they worked all mass of installations. working on the space program. this man in the can. >> camera dna group in to change the name over the years so us people that particular division bobby too weak to the early days of the space program and she

was responsible to calculate those trajectories. but the point at which one that said the band up and it is circled the entire earth creating a much higher level of communications and technology. so that is in charge of building the tracking network.

that the calculated machine would hand off the work to a room computer that they would have that computing power necessary to track the satellite of the earth. and working in this division among the bunch many, many checklist that you can be imagined that they had to have funds that it is a mission to be successful. among them was catherine johnson id eight sandra cisneros nine to describe

the trajectories have to send a man into orbit. she was asked to compute by hand the same guber said data of the computer with a simulation to which the war with the could compute the berbers, dash numbers. did and if those two different sets of numbers would show the actual word common than astra not john glad that is get the girl to duet. basically. [laughter] [applause] . .