August 7, 2024

Adrienne Ma

10th Grade

R.C. Palmer Secondary School High School

Gladys West is a name that may not be familiar to many, but her contributions to science have had a profound impact on our daily lives. Specifically, her life work laid the foundation for the development of the Global Positioning System, more commonly known as the GPS.

Gladys West was born on October 27, 1930, in rural Virginia and lived on a small farm with her family. Growing up, she often assisted in harvesting crops. In her community, she had limited opportunities for her future as most young girls of color became workers at tobacco plants or on farms. However, she wouldn’t let that dictate her future. West had a great passion for learning and thrived in school, especially in science and math. Her hard work helped her become Valedictorian of her graduating class, which granted her a full scholarship to Virginia State College, now known as Virginia State University.

West earned a degree in mathematics and later returned for a master’s degree in the same field, graduating in 1955. Before completing her master's, she worked as a math teacher in racially segregated Virginia schools. During this time, she applied for various jobs, including positions within the Virginia government, but faced racism and sexism, as the roles were often given to white men instead. In 1956, she was finally hired as a mathematician by the US Naval Proving Ground, a weapons laboratory in Dahlgren, Virginia, becoming the fourth black employee there. At this new job, she met her future husband, also a mathematician, named Ira V. West. They married in 1957 and eventually had three children together.

Among her coworkers, she was admired for her intelligence, as she was able to solve complex mathematical equations by hand. Later on, she programmed a computer to do the math for her. 

One of her first major projects was the Naval Ordnance Research Calculator (NORC), which took 100 hours of computer programming and 5 billion calculations to complete. The project became a merit award-winning program to calculate the movements of Pluto in relation to Neptune.

West became project manager for SEASAT in 1978, which was an experimental US ocean surveillance satellite to provide data on oceanographic conditions. These conditions included wave height, currents, icebergs, winds, water temperature, and coastal characteristics. This was the first project to show that satellites could be used to observe oceanographic data.

Similar to SEASAT, her next project was called GEOSAT, which was a satellite program that created computer models of the Earth's surface. She and her team calculated the orbits of satellites using inputs from gravity, tides, and other forces on the Earth's exterior. The data provided by this program allowed for the accurate calculation of satellite movement, which in turn helped chart a model for the earth's exact shape, called a geoid. This innovation, with later adjustments, laid the foundation for the GPS system. 

During her naval base career, she earned another master’s degree in 1973 in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. She retired from the base in 1998, at age 68, but continued her education. Despite recovering from a stroke, at age 70, she received a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy Affairs from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

In the last decade, Gladys West has finally received recognition for her life-long work. She is regarded as one of history’s Hidden Figures, an achievement celebrating women whose impactful contributions to science were unrecognized in their time due to race or gender. This award recognizes their work as a source of inspiration for future generations.

In 2018, Gladys West was honored by the Virginian General Assembly for her contributions to GPS technology. That same year, she was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, becoming the only black woman to receive this honor. She was also named one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's 100 Women of 2018, a list celebrating inspiring women worldwide.

In 2020, West published a memoir titled "It Began With A Dream," in which she discusses her experiences growing up and her groundbreaking career.

Gladys West's work on the development of the GPS stands as a testament to her determination and intelligence. Her curious spirit and thirst for knowledge helped her push past racial barriers and make great impacts in science. By shedding light on her achievements, we not only celebrate her legacy but also inspire future generations to pursue their passions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Gladys West's story is a powerful reminder of the profound difference one person can make in the world.