Gladys West

Gladys West is a mathematician known for her contributions to the development of the of the satellite geodesy models, the precursors to the Global Positioning System (GPS). West worked on mathematical initiatives that helped identify the shape of the Earth during her career. She was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018.

Gladys Mae West was born in 1931 to an African-American family in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Her family lived among a community of sharecroppers and made their living in farms and factories. From a young age, West knew she wanted to do something with her life other than working in crop fields or laboring in a factory. She wanted to get an education and...