International Women's Day | Women Scientists at NASA in January 1959

Women scientists gathered in a meeting room at NASA in 1959.

At the far left is Lucille Coltrane. Lucille was a computer at Langley Research Center. Next to Lucille is Jean Clark Keating, an aerospace engineer. The third woman from the left is Katherine Collie Speegle, a mathematician. The woman standing is Doris 'Dot' Lee, who worked on a team with Katherine Collie Speegle. Next to Doris is Ruth I. Whitman, an engineer in the pilotless aircraft division. The woman seated on the right of Ruth is Emily Stephens Mueller, a computer who worked with the Space Task Group.

NASA:  Women Scientists at NASA in January 1959


Jean Keating, second from the left, looks like a saucy minx and I looked to find what became of her.  She died a few years ago but she remained a heavy at NASA throughout her life.  (NASA:  Jean Clarke Keating)

Ed:  Lucille Coltrane doesn't look like she was spending all her time with engineering calculations either.

Keating married a NASA engineer so there was definitely more than slide rules to it.  I didn't find much about Lucille Coltrane.


In celebration of International Women’s Day on Wednesday and Women’s History Month in March, NASA has unveiled an educational virtual tour that brings students into the exciting careers of seven women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at the agency.

Building on NASA’s participation with the 20th Century Fox film Hidden Figures, NASA’s Modern Figures tour introduces several amazing women who are contributing to America’s space program today, and is the first NASA-themed career tour available via the free Google Expeditions mobile app.

NASA’s Modern Figures virtual tour gives students a three-dimensional experience in a 100,000-square-foot aircraft hangar, simulated Martian landscape, space flight operations facility, and other fascinating locations where these women work as materials scientists, launch directors, software engineers, and in other STEM fields.

NASA:  NASA Marks International Women’s Day, Women’s History Month with Virtual Tour Highlighting Women in STEM