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Annie Easley:
Human Computer Easley at
NASA in
1955.
Annie Easley was an African Orleans, Louisiana. After two years,
American mathematician. She she left school and got married.
was also a rocket scientist and a She and her husband moved to
computer programmer. Born in 1933 Cleveland, Ohio. There were no
in Birmingham, Alabama, she was pharmacy schools in Cleveland. She
raised by a single mother. Easley had to find something else to do.
loved school and was good at math.
In 1955, Easley read an article
Her mother told her she could do
about human computers. These
anything if she worked hard enough.
were people who could do complex
Easley graduated high school at math in their heads. Two weeks
the top of her class. She studied later, she started working as a 100+
pharmacy at Xavier University in New human computer at NACA. NACA Number of unmanned
stands for the National Advisory launches that used the
Committee for Aeronautics. It Centaur rocket promoted. She kept learning new
would later become NASA, the • Annie Easley worked on things. When computers became
National Aeronautics and Space the Centaur. She went to more sophisticated, she learned how
Administration. Cape Canaveral, Florida, to code.
to watch some of the
While working full-time for NASA, launches. Easley worked on many important
Easley took classes at Cleveland • The Centaur is known projects. One was an early battery
State University. She earned her as America’s workhorse technology. It was later used in hybrid
bachelor’s degree in mathematics in space. It is still in use vehicles. She fought discrimination by
in 1977. She spent 34 years today. recruiting more women and people
Annie working at NASA. She • It was involved in many of color to work for NASA. She
historic flights, including
Easley. faced racial and gender the 1997 Cassini launch died in 2011 at age 78.
10 discrimination and was never to Saturn. 11
