Avenger of the Week | Dr. Gladys West

When you consider the GPS in your car or on your phone, it’s hard to imagine living without it. It’s pretty well known that GPS was created for military use before it became a household staple, but what isn’t well known is that a woman led the development of GPS.

Dr. Gladys West was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame during a ceremony in her honor at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., 6 December 2018. Photo credit: US Air Force [public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

After graduating high school at the top of her class, Dr. Gladys West earned a scholarship and majored in math at Virginia State University. She later worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, where she was charged with developing what became modern GPS. Much like the women largely responsible for NASA’s early success, Dr. West’s accomplishments have only recently come to light, so, the next time you’re using GPS to figure out how to get from here to there, take a beat to consider the woman who made that possible.

The next time you’re using GPS in your car and on your phone, consider the fact that it wouldn’t be possible without the groundbreaking Dr. Gladys West. #AvengerOfTheWeek #GenderAvenger https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avenger-of-the-week-dr-gladys-west