Katherine Johnson
computer scientist, physicist, military flight engineer, mathematician, teacher
Read on Wikipedia1918 – 2020
All Quotes by Katherine Johnson
“Like what you do, and then you will do your best.”
“Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.”
“I like to learn. That's an art and a science.”
“Like what you do, and then you will do your best.”
“I don't have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I'm as good as anybody, but no better.”
“In math, you're either right or you're wrong.”
“I had a very, very interesting childhood, but, oh my, education was the primary focus in our family.”
“We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics.”
“We needed to be assertive as women in those days - assertive and aggressive - and the degree to which we had to be that way depended on where you were. I had to be.”
“Everything is physics and math.”
“Everything was so new - the whole idea of going into space was new and daring. There were no textbooks, so we had to write them.”
“Our teachers made such a difference - all my teachers and professors were very supportive and nurturing.”
“Go see 'Hidden Figures,' and take a young person! It will give a more positive outlook on what is possible if you work hard, do your best, and are prepared.”
“I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed... anything that could be counted, I did.”
“Many professors tell you that you'd be good at this or that, but they don't always help you with that career path.”
“I felt most proud on the success of the Apollo mission.”
“John Glenn's life will long be remembered for his time in space, his courage, and his service to all Americans.”
“Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.”
“Take all the courses in your curriculum. Do the research. Ask questions. Find someone doing what you are interested in! Be curious!”
“Men don't pay attention to small things.”
“I like to learn. That's an art and a science.”
“Go see 'Hidden Figures,' and take a young person! It will give a more positive outlook on what is possible if you work hard, do your best, and are prepared.”
“I'm always interested in learning something new.”
“Let me do it. You tell me when you want it and where you want it to land, and I'll do it backwards and tell you when to take off.”
“I had a very, very interesting childhood, but, oh my, education was the primary focus in our family.”
“I was just excited to have challenging work to do and smart people to work with.”
“I was excited at something new, always liked something new, but give credit to everybody who helped. I didn't do anything alone but try to go to the root of the question and succeeded there.”
“I see a picture right now that's not parallel, so I'm going to go straighten it. Things must be in order.”
“I liked working with smart people.”
“I found what I was looking for at Langley. This was what a research mathematician did. I went to work every day for 33 years happy. Never did I get up and say I don't want to go to work.”
“I had a very, very interesting childhood, but, oh my, education was the primary focus in our family.”
“Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.”
“Men don't pay attention to small things.”
“I don't have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I'm as good as anybody, but no better.”
“I was excited at something new, always liked something new, but give credit to everybody who helped. I didn't do anything alone but try to go to the root of the question and succeeded there.”