Annie Jean Easley
Personal Information
Born: 1933
Died: 2011
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: Black
Education
2 years pharmacy school at Xavier University of Louisiana; Cleveland State University BS Mathematics 1977
""I'm out here to do a job and I knew I had the ability to do it, and that's where my focus was, on getting the job done. I was not intentionally trying to be a pioneer." "
— Annie Jean Easley
Professional Life
Field of Study: Mathematics; Computer Engineering
Institution/Corporation: NASA
Degrees & Memberships: founding member & president of NASA Lewis Ski Club
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 2015, Glenn Research Hall of Fame; 2021, a crater on the Moon was named after her by IAU
Achievements: Developed & implemented code used in researching energy-conversion systems; analyzing alternative power technology; worked on software for Centaur upper-stage rocket; 1 out of four African-American computer scientists out of 2500 at NASA; also served as EEO counselor at NASA; advocate for minorities at NASA & in STEM
Helped train African-Americans to take the voting test in her home state of Alabama
Started skiing at age 46; founder & president of NASA Lewis Ski Club
Tutored female & minority elementary & high school students in a work-study program & encouraged them to pursue careers in STEM
Believed in the value of employee morale
Developed software for the Centaur rocket stage
Majored in pharmacy for 2 years before switching to math
1955, was 1 of 4 African-Americans hired by NASA out of 2,500 employees
Was an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor at NASA & fought discrimination there
Her photo was cut out of a NASA promotional photo because she was Black
Worked at NASA for 34 years
One of the 1st females to wear pants to work in the 1970s at NASA
After retiring from NASA became an independent contractor in real estate