Gladys Mae West (Born 1930/31 in Sutherland, Virginia) is an American mathematician who is known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the earth and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System aka, GPS.
Gladys Mae West not only overcame the oppression of discrimination and segregation, she majored in mathematics and along with other women of the times dispel the myth that women are not good in Math. Whether you’re a pilot, soldier, driver, fisherman, golfer or in any other profession that uses GPS, we have Gladys Mae West and her team to thank for developing the foundation of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
In 2018, Gladys Mae West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame. She exemplifies the fact, if you have desire an attitude of completion and a goal, you can and will overcome enormous obstacles. Her early life as a farm girl to her accomplishments as a renowned mathematician exemplifies her determination and resilience to succeed.
Interview: Here is a video of Gladys Mae West describing her life’s journey and how the GPS system was developed.
Award Ceremony: This video is of the Virginia Senate-Richmond acknowledging and honouring the accomplishments of Gladys Mae West.
Mini Bio: This video is a more in depth look at the life of Gladys Mae West who accredits her success to God.
Reflection: It’s truly amazing the impact Gladys Mae West has had on our present day life. Who would’ve thought that a little farm girl born during a time of great depression would grow to be as significant and influential in our daily lives.
All of our lives we grew up hearing, “Girls/women aren’t good at math” which clearly is untrue. Thanks to Gladys Mae West, what once was spoken as fact has been proven untrue.
The message I hope my my daughters, granddaughters, girls, women and men all over the world take from this blog, is to never let people put limits on what you can accomplish. Always believe in yourself knowing all things are possible with dedication and hard work.
Thanks to Gladys Mae West we know the earth is round not flat.
Albert Earl Jr.
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