Photo by NASA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

• COMPUTER PROGRAMMER
• One of the FIRST four Black employees at NASA's Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory (now known as the NASA Glenn Research Center)
• Started as a human computer performing complex mathematic calculations, and then transitioned into a programming role when electronic computers were introduced
• The code she created for researching and analyzing alternative energy technology was used in the development of today's hybrid vehicle batteries
• Earned her mathematics degree while still working full-time at NASA
• Helped develop the software for the Centaur upper-stage rocket
• Tutored local youth in her spare time, encouraging women and minorities to pursue careers in STEM
• Became NASA's equal employment opportunity counselor, helping address discrimination complaints
• Co-authored several papers on nuclear power plants and rockets
• Also worked as a voting activist, helping Black voters pass rigged Jim Crow eligibility tests
• Cofounded NASA's Ski Club

Bibliography: Ignotofsky, Rachel. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2016. Print.
     Easley, Annie J. Interview by Sandra Johnson. NASA Headquarters Oral History Project Edited Oral History Transcript, 21 August 2001, https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/NASA_HQ/Herstory/EasleyAJ/EasleyAJ_8-21-01.htm. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center. Accessed 12 November 2019.
     Mills, Anne. (2019, May 3). Edited by Robert Arrighi. Annie Easley. https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/glenn-history/hall-of-fame/biographies/annie-easley/. Glenn Research Center, Glenn Hall of Fame. Accessed 12 November 2019.

So. Very. Awesome.

In 1970, it was still controversial for women to wear pants, especially to work. One day Easley asked her female supervisor if she could wear a pantsuit, and they made a pact to both wear pants the next day. According to the NASA Headquarters Oral History Project, their actions caused "quite a stir," but there were no formal repercussions, and at least one other female coworker was so inspired that she never wore a dress to work again.

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