West Area Computing Unit | |
|---|---|
| Other names | West Computers, West Area Computers |
| Occupation | human computers |
| Years active | 1943–1958 |
The West Area Computers (short for West Area Computing Unit) were the African American women who worked as human computers at the Langley Research Center of NACA (predecessor of NASA) from 1943 through 1958. Most of their work involved reading, analyzing, and plotting data for aircraft testing, supersonic flight research, and, later, the space program. In the era before digital computers, they worked by hand, one-on-one with engineers or in computing sections. [1]
The West Area Computers were a subset of the hundreds of female computers who began careers in aeronautical research during World War II. To offset the loss of manpower as men joined the war effort, many U.S. organizations began recruiting and hiring more women and minorities during the 1940s. In 1935, the Langley Research Center had five female human computers on staff; by 1946, the center had about 400. [1] [2] All were discriminated against for their gender: although the female computers were as skilled as their male counterparts, they were hired as "subprofessionals" with starting pay of $1,440 annually (about $26,000 in 2024) [3] , while males held "professional" status and received starting pay of $2,600 annually (about $47,000 in 2024) [3] [4] .
The West Computers were further discriminated against for their race. Although Executive Order 8802 had in principle outlawed discriminatory hiring practices in defense industries, Virginia's Jim Crow laws overpowered it and made it more difficult for African American women to be hired than white women. [5] To become a human computer for NACA, all applicants had to pass a civil service exam, but only Black applicants were required to complete a chemistry course at the nearby Hampton Institute. [4] Once they were hired, Black computers performed the same work as the white women, and sometimes in teams with them, but were required to use segregated work areas, [2] bathrooms, and cafeterias. [6] The West Computers got their name because they were required to work at Langley's West Area, while the white mathematicians worked in the East section. [7] [2] Some of the white computers were unaware of the West Computers, although black and white computers recalled that when computers from both groups were assigned to a project, "everyone worked well together", according to an unpublished study by Beverly E. Golemba [8] [9] [6] [10] .
In 1958, when the NACA became NASA, segregated facilities, including the West Computing office, were abolished. [11]
On November 8, 2019, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded "In recognition of all the women who served as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) between the 1930s and the 1970s." [12]
Some of the West Computers engaged in small acts of protest against segregation at Langley. Many small protests occurred in the segregated dining room since colored women were forbidden to enter the white cafeteria. [17] Miriam Mann repeatedly removed signs denoting where "coloured girls" could sit for their meals. [2] Both Katherine Johnson and Mary Winston Jackson refused to use the segregated cafeterias and exclusively ate at their desks. [17] [2] Katherine Johnson also refused to use segregated restrooms since they were on the opposite side of the campus, [17] so she used an unmarked restroom. [2] After discovering that the men on her team were attending meetings to share important information about their tasks, Katherine Johnson began attending these meetings uninvited. She participated heavily during these meetings by frequently asking questions and engaging in discussions. [4]
Christine Darden became an engineer after demonstrating that she possessed or exceeded all skills and qualifications male engineers had and asked to be moved to the engineering pool instead of continuing to be a computer. [4]