A00236 - In Praise of Gladys Mae West, The Mother of GPS
As I continue my march through the year 1930, I came across the bio for Gladys Mae West
A brilliant mathematician, West is today considered to be one of the key contributors to the development of the Global Positioning System
the modern technological marvel that enables we mortals to make our way through this crazy world
Although a contemporary of the black women mathematicians profiled in the book and the movie Hidden Figures, West was not similarly profiled
So, until this morning, I had never heard of Gladys West, of her brilliance and of her contributions to modern life. Thanks to my march through 1930, I learned about her today and, being so impressed, I now want to make others aware of her accomplishments. Therefore, today I write in praise of Gladys Mae West, the woman who is quite arguably the Mother of GPS. I encourage you to learn more about her and, perhaps, to praise her in your own minds as well.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
February 14, 2024
P.S. I am also fond of the fact that Mrs. West was born on October 27, my mother's birthday, only five years later. Both women were quite extraordinary in their own right.
Gladys Mae West (née Brown; born October 27, 1930[1]) is an American mathematician. She is known for her contributions to mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models, that were later incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS).[2] West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018. West was awarded the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for the development of satellite geodesy models.[3][4]
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