This week, we learned that Katherine Johnson had died at age 101. The photo above appeared on Facebook — launching me into an exploration. Although I knew the basics behind this statue, and the woman it honors, there was more to discover!
I won’t go into depth here about her life, as it has been well documented in many places, especially this week. A few great examples can be found here.
Johnson’s death occurred at an interesting point on the calendar. Right between Black History Month and Womens’ History Month. She is the ultimate example of the reason that we need to know more about both.
Katherine Johnson
Although Katherine Johnson did not attend West Virginia Wesleyan, there is a statue of her on our campus. She stands between Christoper Hall of Science and the David E. Reemsnyder Research Center as a daily reminder of the possibilities within all of us.
Her Alma Mater, West Virginia State University, also has a statue of her on their campus. Both were inspired by the movie, Hidden Figures. Katherine graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1937, at the age of 18 years old with majors in both Mathematics and French.
The Power of the Pen (and Art)
If not for author Margo Lee Shetterly, all of the power of Katherine Johnson’s story would likely still be unkown. Her 2016 book, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, inspired the movie of the same name. Margo has also started a project called The Human Computer Project to find all of the Human Computers from those early days of NASA and to remember their contributions. She wrote about four, but there were hundreds.
If not for the movie, Ellen Mueller would not have been inspired to commission this statue to be created by Andy Thorne. Ellen, who taught in the WVWC Art Department from 2012-17, wanted to celebrate a West Virginian who had overcome challenges to reach excellence. When she saw Hidden Figures, she knew she had found the perfect person! And also that this story needed to be shared. Ellen noted that:
Since 2011, WVWC has had at least 14% of the student population from a minority. This sculpture is a way to help minorities on campus know that they are welcomed and honored here.
Andy Thorne, a native West Virginian and a sculptor, worked as a Visiting Artist with Ellen and her 3-D Design Class to show them how a commissioned sculpture progressed from idea through the steps of making it a reality. This weekend I had the chance to talk with Andy, who has since moved to Florida, and he is so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Ellen and her students — especially on this project which highlights such an amazing West Virginian.
If not for the statue, the photograph at the top of this page would not have been taken by Sandi Phillips Miller (class of 1976) and shared on Facebook this week upon the death of Katherine Johnson.
If not for the photograph, I might not have written this particular blog.
It is my hope that someone reading this blog might be inspired by Katherine Johnson all over again. She is still teaching us that it is possible, no matter who you are, where you were born, or the odds that are seemingly stacked up against you, the potential in every person is something to be recognized, mentored, celebrated, and advocated.
