Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, was born on May 16th, 1925 in Nashville, Tennessee. At a young age Nancy knew she wanted to become as astronomer, which started with her mother introducing her to the Northern Lights and constellations. Later, when Nancy was 11 years old she created a club with her classmates where they learned about constellations and celestial objects. Nancy continued her path towards becoming an astronomer by attending Swarthmore in 1946 where she obtained her bachelor’s degree, and later attended the University of Chicago in 1949 where she earned her doctorate.
Nancy faced struggles at her position as an assistant professor, knowing it would be difficult for her to achieve tenure as a woman. This led her to take a position at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) where she conducted geodetic work and became the head of the microwave spectroscopy program. Using her experience she gained while working at eh NRL, Dr. Roman applied for a position at NASA to be a part of Jack Clark’s research team. In her time at NASA, Dr. Roman made numerous accomplishments.
One of the biggest accomplishments Dr. Roman had, was helping make and getting the Hubble Space Telescope approved by the U.S. Congress. After this accomplishment she was given the nickname “mother of Hubble” by her colleagues. Dr. Roman also paved the way for many women by supporting the American Association of University Women (AAUW) throughout her career to help women fight against the same challenges she faced during her education and career.
Works Cited
Nancy Grace Roman: The life and legacy of a NASA star. AAUW. (2022, March 4). https://www.aauw.org/resources/faces-of-aauw/nancy-grace-roman-the-life-and-legacy-of-a-nasa-star/
NASA. (n.d.). Who is Nancy Grace Roman? - NASA science. NASA. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/who-is-nancy-grace-roman/
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