As we celebrate Women’s History Month we are focusing on Black American Women.
A Tale of Two Mary’s
Last month we took time to celebrate Black History Month by relating the stories of some incredible black American women. Obtaining a PhD is a great accomplishment, so we told the stories of four black women who were the first to receive a PhD in American universities. They were:
1. Eva Beatrice Dykes for being the first black woman in America to complete the requirements for a PhD. Her degree was in English Philology, and she received her degree at her commencement on June 22, 1921. 2. Georgiana Rose Simpson received a PhD in German Philology on June 14, 1921 – just over 100 years ago. 3. Sadie T. M. Alexander received her PhD in economics on June 15, 1921. 4. Martha Euphemia Lofton Haynes – the first black woman to receive a PhD in mathematics (1943).
We will now continue with our series on “Black Women in America”. It is time to recognize that black women have always had strong abilities. They have been denied opportunities unfairly. My prayer is that many, many more black women will be given the chance to pursue education, careers, and all of their dreams.
Since we started our series on “Black Women in America” by looking at the area of education we will add more names of outstanding black female educators. This week we will feature two more “Firsts” – Mary W. Jackson, NASA’s first black female engineer and Mary J. Patterson, the first black women to receive a BA degree.
Mary W. Jackson (April 9, 1921 – February 11, 2005)
Mary grew up in Hampton, Virginia. She graduated from high school with highest honors. She then attended Hampton Institute where she graduated in 1942 with bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Physical Science. She taught math at a black school in Maryland for a year and then returned home. She went through several career changes including receptionist and bookkeeper. She had a son, Levi while at home. She then took a job as an Army Secretary at Fort Monroe. At last, she found her place at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. She began work in the segregated West Area Computing section in 1951. Her supervisor was Dorothy Vaughan.[1] She worked there for two years.
Mary then began working for Kazimierz Czarnecki. Her job was conducting experiments in a 4-foot by 4-foot Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. This 60,000-horsepower wind tunnel was capable of blasting models with winds approaching twice the speed of sound. Frustrated and unhappy about the discrimination against blacks in the workplace, Mary almost resigned. But Mary had proven herself to be very capable and so Czarnecki encouraged her to enter a training program which would give her a chance to upgrade her standing from mathematician to engineer.
Mary had to take graduate level classes from the University of Virginia. They were held at a high school that did not accept black students in their classes. Mary had the courage to get the special permission needed. She took the classes and completed the courses. She earned her promotion and in 1958 at the age of 37 she became NASA’s first female engineer. In fact, since this was taking place in the 1950’s it is very possible that Mary was the only black female aeronautical engineer in the field.
For nearly two decades Mary wrote many papers concerning studies of data that helped to improve US planes. She co-authored her first paper – “Effects of Nose Angle and Mach Number on Transition on Cones at Supersonic Speeds.” Mary achieved the most senior rank in the engineering department that was allowed to her. Unable to break the “glass ceiling” she decided on another career change. She was taking a demotion but decided to become a human resources administrator which she did until her retirement in 1985. She used her position as the manager of the Langley Federal Women’s Program to help other women and minorities to advance their careers. Her work had a major impact on the improvement of the treatment of all of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers and scientists.
Mary retired in 1985. In her lifetime she had received many honors including the Apollo Group Achievement Award. She had been named the volunteer of the year in 1976. She was also involved in the United Way, Girl Scouts, and the National Technical Association (the oldest technical organization in the United States founded to help blacks). She died in 2005. She received her medal posthumously.
In 2016 a movie was made to tell the story of the black women who worked at NASA who were largely responsible for the safe flight of astronaut John Glenn. It focused on three of the women and was called “Hidden Figures”. It starred Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. It is finally time after 55 years that Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson are recognized for their achievements. Though things have changed a lot since the 1940’s and 50’s, there is still a struggle for full racial and gender equality. The stories of these women will go a long way to erase the idea that women, especially black women are inferior.
The movie is great, and I hope you will see it. My only disappoint was that the tremendous religious faith of these three wonderful women was not presented more. The women all just wanted to succeed and rose above the prejudice against them. These women are an inspiration!
These women were true pioneers and are an inspiration to everyone especially black women. Thanks to their unselfish and courageous efforts black women today can enter all fields of enterprise including mathematics, science, and technology.
Mary J. Patterson (1840-1894) – BA in Education
Mary Jane Patterson was the first black woman to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1862.
We don’t have very much information about Mary’s early life, but we believe that she was born into slavery around 1840 in Raleigh North Caroline. Her parents were Henry Irving Patterson and Emmeline Eliza (Taylor) Patterson. She was probably the oldest of at least seven children. Henry was a bricklayer and plasterer. Around 1852 he obtained his freedom and moved his family to Oberlin, Ohio where there was a large population of free black families.
Many of the Oberlin families hoped to send their children to college. In 1857 Mary finished a preparatory course with that in mind. However, she sought to enter the four-year “gentlemen’s course” rather than the two-year course for women at Oberlin. She earned her Bachelor of Arts with high honors in 1862.
Mary then spent a year teaching in Chillicothe, Ohio. When she was 22, she went to teach at the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for five years.[2] After that she went to Washington, D.C. to teach at the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. This school became known as M Street High School. Several of the women we have already talked about on this post either graduated from there or taught there.[3]It was a great way for black youth to gain opportunities for higher education.
In Washington, D.C. she lived at 1532 15th Street Northwest with her sisters, Emma and Chanie (both of whom graduated from Oberlin’s two-year course for women) and her brother John (graduated from Oberlin in 1867). All four siblings became teachers. Mary’s parents joined them in the 1880’s.
In 1871, Mary became the principal of the high school for one year. She then moved to assistant principal when they appointed a new principal, thinking that they should have a man in the position of authority. He only lasted one year and then Mary stepped back into her former position. The school thrived under her leadership, enrollment increasing from 50 students to 172, and earned the reputation of a most prestigious school for secondary education. Mary remained the principal until she resigned in 1884. It is believed that she remained on after that as a teacher.
Mary Church Terrell, writer, professor and principal at Wilberforce University and the first black woman appointed to the District of Columbia Board of Education in 1895, said of Mary Jane Patterson:
She was a woman with a strong, forceful personality, and showed tremendous power for good in establishing high intellectual standards in the public schools. Thoroughness was one of Miss Patterson’s most striking characteristics in a teacher. She was a quick, alert, vivacious and indefatigable worker.[4]
Mary Patterson became active as an advocate for women’s rights. She devoted her time to forming and supporting an industrial school for black girls. She helped found the Colored Women’s League of Washington, D.C. She also helped to maintain a Home for the Aged and Infirm Colored People in Washington, D.C. Neither Mary nor her two sisters ever married. She died on September 24, 1994, aged 54. Today her home is a part of the Washington D.C. historic walking tour – Washington’s African American Heritage Trail.
[1] See the post “’Hidden Figures’ Revealed – 3 Incredible Women”, April 25, 2017, on my site.
[2] I am sticking with the historical names of institutions. Terms have changed from “Negro” to “Colored” to “African-American” to “Black”. Throughout this year as I tell the stories of black women, I will use the historical terms where they are more accurate.
[3] Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, Eva Beatrice Dykes, Euphemia Lofton Haynes all went on the earn doctoral degrees.
[4] Quoted in Smith, Jessie Carney, ed., Notable Black American Women, Book 1, Gale Research, 1992. “Mary Jane Patterson (1840-1894): Educator, educational administrator”, p. 827.
They “walk to the beat of a different drummer” as they proclaim the Jesus Way (Christianity), while they also take pride in their Native American Indian identity.
Black Women in America – A Tale of Two Mary’s
As we celebrate Women’s History Month we are focusing on Black American Women.
A Tale of Two Mary’s
Last month we took time to celebrate Black History Month by relating the stories of some incredible black American women. Obtaining a PhD is a great accomplishment, so we told the stories of four black women who were the first to receive a PhD in American universities. They were:
1. Eva Beatrice Dykes for being the first black woman in America to complete the requirements for a PhD. Her degree was in English Philology, and she received her degree at her commencement on June 22, 1921.
2. Georgiana Rose Simpson received a PhD in German Philology on June 14, 1921 – just over 100 years ago.
3. Sadie T. M. Alexander received her PhD in economics on June 15, 1921.
4. Martha Euphemia Lofton Haynes – the first black woman to receive a PhD in mathematics (1943).
We will now continue with our series on “Black Women in America”. It is time to recognize that black women have always had strong abilities. They have been denied opportunities unfairly. My prayer is that many, many more black women will be given the chance to pursue education, careers, and all of their dreams.
Since we started our series on “Black Women in America” by looking at the area of education we will add more names of outstanding black female educators. This week we will feature two more “Firsts” – Mary W. Jackson, NASA’s first black female engineer and Mary J. Patterson, the first black women to receive a BA degree.
Mary W. Jackson (April 9, 1921 – February 11, 2005)
Mary grew up in Hampton, Virginia. She graduated from high school with highest honors. She then attended Hampton Institute where she graduated in 1942 with bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Physical Science. She taught math at a black school in Maryland for a year and then returned home. She went through several career changes including receptionist and bookkeeper. She had a son, Levi while at home. She then took a job as an Army Secretary at Fort Monroe. At last, she found her place at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. She began work in the segregated West Area Computing section in 1951. Her supervisor was Dorothy Vaughan.[1] She worked there for two years.
Mary then began working for Kazimierz Czarnecki. Her job was conducting experiments in a 4-foot by 4-foot Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. This 60,000-horsepower wind tunnel was capable of blasting models with winds approaching twice the speed of sound. Frustrated and unhappy about the discrimination against blacks in the workplace, Mary almost resigned. But Mary had proven herself to be very capable and so Czarnecki encouraged her to enter a training program which would give her a chance to upgrade her standing from mathematician to engineer.
Mary had to take graduate level classes from the University of Virginia. They were held at a high school that did not accept black students in their classes. Mary had the courage to get the special permission needed. She took the classes and completed the courses. She earned her promotion and in 1958 at the age of 37 she became NASA’s first female engineer. In fact, since this was taking place in the 1950’s it is very possible that Mary was the only black female aeronautical engineer in the field.
For nearly two decades Mary wrote many papers concerning studies of data that helped to improve US planes. She co-authored her first paper – “Effects of Nose Angle and Mach Number on Transition on Cones at Supersonic Speeds.” Mary achieved the most senior rank in the engineering department that was allowed to her. Unable to break the “glass ceiling” she decided on another career change. She was taking a demotion but decided to become a human resources administrator which she did until her retirement in 1985. She used her position as the manager of the Langley Federal Women’s Program to help other women and minorities to advance their careers. Her work had a major impact on the improvement of the treatment of all of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers and scientists.
Mary retired in 1985. In her lifetime she had received many honors including the Apollo Group Achievement Award. She had been named the volunteer of the year in 1976. She was also involved in the United Way, Girl Scouts, and the National Technical Association (the oldest technical organization in the United States founded to help blacks). She died in 2005. She received her medal posthumously.
In 2016 a movie was made to tell the story of the black women who worked at NASA who were largely responsible for the safe flight of astronaut John Glenn. It focused on three of the women and was called “Hidden Figures”. It starred Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. It is finally time after 55 years that Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson are recognized for their achievements. Though things have changed a lot since the 1940’s and 50’s, there is still a struggle for full racial and gender equality. The stories of these women will go a long way to erase the idea that women, especially black women are inferior.
The movie is great, and I hope you will see it. My only disappoint was that the tremendous religious faith of these three wonderful women was not presented more. The women all just wanted to succeed and rose above the prejudice against them. These women are an inspiration!
These women were true pioneers and are an inspiration to everyone especially black women. Thanks to their unselfish and courageous efforts black women today can enter all fields of enterprise including mathematics, science, and technology.
Mary J. Patterson (1840-1894) – BA in Education
Mary Jane Patterson was the first black woman to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1862.
We don’t have very much information about Mary’s early life, but we believe that she was born into slavery around 1840 in Raleigh North Caroline. Her parents were Henry Irving Patterson and Emmeline Eliza (Taylor) Patterson. She was probably the oldest of at least seven children. Henry was a bricklayer and plasterer. Around 1852 he obtained his freedom and moved his family to Oberlin, Ohio where there was a large population of free black families.
Many of the Oberlin families hoped to send their children to college. In 1857 Mary finished a preparatory course with that in mind. However, she sought to enter the four-year “gentlemen’s course” rather than the two-year course for women at Oberlin. She earned her Bachelor of Arts with high honors in 1862.
Mary then spent a year teaching in Chillicothe, Ohio. When she was 22, she went to teach at the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for five years.[2] After that she went to Washington, D.C. to teach at the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. This school became known as M Street High School. Several of the women we have already talked about on this post either graduated from there or taught there.[3]It was a great way for black youth to gain opportunities for higher education.
In Washington, D.C. she lived at 1532 15th Street Northwest with her sisters, Emma and Chanie (both of whom graduated from Oberlin’s two-year course for women) and her brother John (graduated from Oberlin in 1867). All four siblings became teachers. Mary’s parents joined them in the 1880’s.
In 1871, Mary became the principal of the high school for one year. She then moved to assistant principal when they appointed a new principal, thinking that they should have a man in the position of authority. He only lasted one year and then Mary stepped back into her former position. The school thrived under her leadership, enrollment increasing from 50 students to 172, and earned the reputation of a most prestigious school for secondary education. Mary remained the principal until she resigned in 1884. It is believed that she remained on after that as a teacher.
Mary Church Terrell, writer, professor and principal at Wilberforce University and the first black woman appointed to the District of Columbia Board of Education in 1895, said of Mary Jane Patterson:
She was a woman with a strong, forceful personality, and showed tremendous power for good in establishing high intellectual standards in the public schools. Thoroughness was one of Miss Patterson’s most striking characteristics in a teacher. She was a quick, alert, vivacious and indefatigable worker.[4]
Mary Patterson became active as an advocate for women’s rights. She devoted her time to forming and supporting an industrial school for black girls. She helped found the Colored Women’s League of Washington, D.C. She also helped to maintain a Home for the Aged and Infirm Colored People in Washington, D.C. Neither Mary nor her two sisters ever married. She died on September 24, 1994, aged 54. Today her home is a part of the Washington D.C. historic walking tour – Washington’s African American Heritage Trail.
[1] See the post “’Hidden Figures’ Revealed – 3 Incredible Women”, April 25, 2017, on my site.
[2] I am sticking with the historical names of institutions. Terms have changed from “Negro” to “Colored” to “African-American” to “Black”. Throughout this year as I tell the stories of black women, I will use the historical terms where they are more accurate.
[3] Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, Eva Beatrice Dykes, Euphemia Lofton Haynes all went on the earn doctoral degrees.
[4] Quoted in Smith, Jessie Carney, ed., Notable Black American Women, Book 1, Gale Research, 1992. “Mary Jane Patterson (1840-1894): Educator, educational administrator”, p. 827.
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They “walk to the beat of a different drummer” as they proclaim the Jesus Way (Christianity), while they also take pride in their Native American Indian identity.
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