Nancy Grace Roman
Personal Information
Born: 1925
Died: 2018
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Swarthmore College BS Astronomy 1946; University of chicago PhD Astronomy 1949
Professional Life
Field of Study: Astronomy
Institution/Corporation: NASA; Swarthmore College; Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago; Naval Research Lab
Degrees & Memberships: Honorary Degree: Russell Sage College (1966) Hood College (1969) Bates College (1971) Swarthmore College (1976); Member: Swarthmore Board of Managers (1980-1988) American Association of University Women Fellow American Astronautical Society (1978) Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science (1988)
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1969 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal; 1962 Federal Women's Award; 1962 named 1 of 100 Most Important Young People Life magazine; 1966 Citation for Public Service. Colorado Women's College; 1967 90th Anniversary Award Women's Education & Industrial Union Boston; 1978 NASA Outstanding Scientific Leadership Award; 1979 & 2011 William Randolph Lovelace II Award American Astronaurical Association; 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award Women in Aerospace; 2016 Woman of Distinction American Association of University Women Maryland; Asteroid 2516 Roman NASA Fellowship Program LEGO figure in 2017 & 2020 NASA telescope named for her; Hubblecast podcast episode 113 features her
Achievements: "1st female executive at NASA (Chief of Astronomy); 1955 published a catalog of approximately 600 high-velocity stars; her ""uv excess"" method became widely used to find stars with heavier elements; 1959 wrote a significant paper on the detection of extraterrestial planets; worked in field of radio astronomy; provided astronomy consultations for Project Vanguard satellite program; oversaw the development of the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) program; oversaw & developed space telescopes & satellite programs"
Was the 1st female executive at NASA (Chief of Astronomy, 1960s through 1970s)
Known as "The Mother of the Hubble" because she was instrumental in making the Hubble possible
Created NASA's space astronomy program
At age 11, formed an astronomy club that met once weekly, learning astronomy from available books
In 1950 wrote the 3 top 100 papers in a year with over 3,000 publications Discovered stars composed of hydrogen & helium move faster than stars made of other, heavier elements & not all stars that were common were the same age
1954, went to work at the Naval Research Lab in the new field of radio astronomy
Pioneered the use of radio astronomy in geodetic work
Was the 1st civilian to visit Armenia after the start of the Cold War in 1956 to speak at the dedication of the Byurakan Observatory
Oversaw NASA's astronomy missions
Retired after 21 years at NASA in 1979 in part to care for her elderly mother; took FORTRAN classes & became a consultant for ORI, Inc 1980-1988
Returned to NASA as head of Astronomical Data Center at Goddard Space Flight Center in 1995 & was there 2 years; then taught another 3 years
Spent 10 years recording astronomical textbooks for Reading for the Blind & Dyslexic
Was discouraged from going into science by people around her; a high school guidance counselor sneered at her when she requested to take a 2nd year of algebra instead of Latin & said, "What kind of lady would take math instead of Latin?"