Gladys Mae West

Born on October 27, 1930, Dr. Gladys Mae West was the second black woman ever hired at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia (now called the Naval Surface Warfare Center.) She was a programmer and project manager for data-processing systems used for the analysis of satellite data. 

From the 1970s through the 80s, West programmed an IBM 7030 Stretch computer that was able to precisely calculate models of the earth. This allowed her to make what was known as a geopotential model. This model formed the basis for what would later be known as the Global Positioning System, or the GPS, which is used everyday in cars, planes, and military tools.

In 2018, West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame. The AFSPC (Air Force Space Command) press called her one of “the so-called ‘Hidden Figures’ part of the team who did computing for the US military in the era before electronic systems.” In 2021, Gladys West was awarded the Prince Philip Medal by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering, their highest individual honor.