40+ Katherine Johnson Young Life Pics. Katherine johnson was one of the first black students integrated into west virginia's graduate schools. Creola katherine johnson (née coleman;
They had three daughters together.
At a young age, she was ready and anxious to go to school. Despite her tremendous contributions to america's space programs, johnson, a black woman, remained a hidden figure for much of her life. Nasa mathematician katherine johnson calculated the path that put a man on the moon and catapulted america to first place in the race to space. Johnson, who was initially rejected by nasa when she first applied, was tasked by glenn to check the computer's work by redoing all the math done by a computer that had been programmed.