Dr. Christine Darden, inspiration for “Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women who Helped Launch Our Nation Into Space”, author Margot Lee Shetterly, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson to celebrate passage of legislation to honor women mathematicians and engineers who contributed to the success of NASA during the Space Race.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, hosting the reception, encouraged and supported Ms. Shetterly to write the book that led to the 2016 movie.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, December 9, at 5 p.m., Dr. Christine Darden, Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former NASA mathematician, data analyst and aeronautical engineer, ‘Hidden Figures’ author Margot Lee Shetterly, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), and U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) will headline a reception, hosted by the Sloan Foundation, in recognition of the women mathematicians and engineers who contributed to the success of NASA and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics during the Space Race.
The reception will celebrate the passage of bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senator Coons and Representative Johnson, along with U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), that will award Congressional Gold Medals to Katherine Johnson and Dr. Christine Darden and posthumously award Congressional Gold Medals to Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. The bill will also award a fifth Congressional Gold Medal to honor all women who contributed to NASA during the Space Race.
