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Dr. Gladys West: The Unsung Heroine Behind GPS Technology
In an age where navigation apps guide millions through cities, seas, and skies, few pause to consider the mind behind the system that makes it all possible. Dr. Gladys Mae West, an African-American mathematician whose groundbreaking work laid the foundation for the Global Positioning System (GPS), spent decades in relative obscurity — her name unknown, her contribution overlooked. Yet, without her precision, persistence, and intellect, the modern world’s most relied-upon technology might never have existed.
Born in 1930 in Sutherland, Virginia, Gladys West grew up in a small farming community during a time of deep racial segregation and limited opportunities for women of color. Determined to escape the cycle of farm labor, she focused on education, graduating at the top of her high school class. Her academic excellence earned her a scholarship to Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), where she majored in mathematics — a field few women, let alone Black women, pursued at the time.
In 1956, West broke barriers once again when she was hired as a mathematician at the U.S. Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia. She was only the second Black woman ever employed there. Her role involved complex calculations and data analysis for satellite models — tedious work often done by hand before the advent of computers.
Her most significant contributions came in the 1970s and 1980s, when she was tasked with developing precise mathematical models of the Earth’s shape — known as a geoid. By meticulously accounting for variations in gravitational, tidal, and other forces, West helped refine the algorithms that allowed satellites to accurately pinpoint any location on Earth. These calculations became the mathematical backbone of the GPS technology now embedded in everything from smartphones and cars to aircraft and military systems.
Despite her pivotal role, Dr. West’s name rarely appeared in reports or patents. Like many women in science, her contributions were folded into the collective achievements of research teams dominated by men. It wasn’t until decades later, after her retirement, that her achievements began to surface. In 2018, the U.S. Air Force formally recognized her as one of the “hidden figures” whose work was essential to the development of GPS. That same year, she was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame.
Now in her nineties, Dr. Gladys West stands as a testament to quiet brilliance and perseverance. Her legacy is woven into the very infrastructure of modern life — guiding ships across oceans, connecting friends across continents, and helping emergency services save lives daily.
Her story serves as both a celebration and a reminder: that behind the technology shaping our world are often the forgotten figures who worked in silence, driven not by fame but by purpose.
Attached is a news article regarding Gladys west who inspired GSP
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/19/gladys-west-the-hidden-figure-who-helped-invent-gps
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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