295:. With massive cuts in the NASA space program, Easley began working on energy problems; her energy assignments included studies to determine the life use of storage batteries, such as those used in electric utility vehicles. Her computer applications have been used to identify energy conversion systems that offer the improvement over commercially available technologies. Following the energy crisis of the late 1970s, Easley studied the economic advantages of co-generating power plants that obtained byproducts from coal and steam. After retiring in 1989, she remained an active participant in the Speaker's Bureau and the Business & Professional Women's association. Despite her long career and numerous contributions to research, she was cut out of NASA's promotional photos. In response to one such event, Easley responded by saying "I'm out here to do a job and I knew I had the ability to do it, and that's where my focus was, on getting the job done. I was not intentionally trying to be a pioneer."
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272:) in Cleveland. Later after electronic computers started being used at NASA her title changed to mathematician and computer technician. Even with a degree, Easley also had to complete internal specialization courses to be considered a professional at NASA. Easley was denied financial aid that other employees received for education, without explanation from the agency. She also noted that she did not feel that her pay was very high when she first started with two years of college. Although she was promised a
330:, and the contribution of women to space flight. In that same Interview, Easley was asked whether she still played with gadgets and stated "I don't have the time or the desire. I will get the email and I'll send it, but I don't play with it. It's not like this fascinating thing I play with. I'd much rather be out doing something actively, like on the golf course or doing other things."
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268:(NACA) as "computers". She applied for a job the next day, and was hired two weeks later, becoming one of four African Americans out of about 2500 employees. She began her career as computer at the NACA Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (which became NASA Lewis Research Center, 1958–1999, and subsequently the
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Easley lived in a time where women and
African-Americans were facing discrimination from society. She experienced discrimination related to being an African-American during her career. In one incident, her face was cut out from a picture to put it on display. In her 34-year career she worked in four
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On Feb 4, 2022, NASA's
History Office Twitted (Posted on X): ' "I just have my own attitude. I’m out here to get the job done, and I knew I had the ability to do it, and that’s where my focus was." Annie Easley was hired at the NACA (NASA's predecessor) in 1955 as a "human computer," launching a
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was prevalent, African-American children were educated separately from white children, and their schools were often inferior to white schools. Annie's mother told her that she could be anything, but she would have to work at it. She encouraged Annie to get a good education. From the fifth grade
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In her first three years after retiring from NASA, Easley focused on volunteer work, often telling people she put more miles on her car as a retiree than as a worker. She traveled the world, mostly to ski, and become an independent contractor in real estate. Although she no longer tutored, she
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and heels almost every day in college. Although there was no dress code in her work department, wearing pants as a woman during that time was still not normalized. However, she was one of the first to wear pants to work in the 1970s after talking to her supervisor about it.
163:(SOAP) to help with these simulations. She would also work on developing code used in researching and analyzing alternative power technologies like batteries and fuel systems, which would be later used in hybrid vehicles and NASA's Centaur upper-stage rocket.
283:(EEO) counselor. This was one of the formal ways that she helped her supervisors at NASA address discrimination complaints from all levels. She was also part of a recruitment effort on behalf of NASA for engineering students from numerous colleges.
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different departments: the
Computer Services Division, the Energy Directorate, the Launch Vehicles Group and the Engineering Directorate, although none of her moves were due to promotions, which she recognized may have been due to her race or sex.
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Easley's early work involved running simulations at NASA's Plum Brook
Reactor Facility and studying the effects of rocket launches on earth's ozone layer. She taught herself assembly programming using languages like Formula Translating System
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high-energy upper rocket stage, determined solar, wind and energy projects, and identified energy conversion systems and alternative systems to solve energy problems. During the 1970s Easley worked on a project examining damage to the
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Easley's work with the
Centaur project helped lay the technological foundations for future space shuttle launches and launches of communication, military and weather satellites. Her work contributed to the 1997 flight to
314:. The interview is stored in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center Oral History Program. The 55 page interview transcript includes material on the history of the
379:. She remembered the test giver looking at her application and saying only, "You went to Xavier University. Two dollars." Subsequently, she helped other African Americans prepare for the test.
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Easley was also a budding athlete who founded and subsequently became the first
President of the NASA Lewis Ski Club and participated in other local ski clubs in the Cleveland area.
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Kascak, A. F.; Easley, A. J. National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio. Report No.: NASA-TM-X-2517; E-6639 March 1972
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Easley, A. J.; Kascak, A. F.; National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio. Report No.: NASA-TN-D-4882 Nov 1968
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In 1954, Annie Easley married a man from the military. After her husband had been discharged from the military, the two of them moved to
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In Black and White: A Guide to
Magazine Articles, Newspaper Articles and Books Concerning More than 15,000 Black Individuals and Groups.
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Nainiger, Joseph J.; Burns, Raymond K.; Easley, Annie J. NASA, Lewis
Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio. NASA Tech Memo 82729 Mar 1982 31p
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of her graduating class. At a young age Annie had interest in becoming a nurse, but around the age of 16 she decided to study pharmacy.
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Carpenter, Jana. “Annie J. Easley (1933-2011) •.” •, 6 Mar. 2023, www.blackpast.org/African-American-history/annie-j-easley-1933-2011/.
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Easley's outreach for minorities did not end with her volunteer work at college career days. At NASA she took upon herself to be an
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Her 34-year career included developing and implementing computer code that analyzed alternative power technologies, supported the
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in her interview, her first paycheck was a GS-2, and when she questioned it she was told there were no more GS-3s available.
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Throughout the 1970s, Easley advocated for and encouraged female and minority students at college career days to work in
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Samorodnitsky, Dan. “Meet Annie Easley, the Barrier-Breaking Mathematician Who Helped US Explore the Solar System.”
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Performance and Operational Economics Estimates for a Coal Gasification Combined-Cycle Cogeneration Powerplant.
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449:, 26 Nov. 2018, massivesci.com/articles/annie-easley-facts-stem-mathematician-nasa-scientist-discrimination/.
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US Department of Energy (Washington, D.C.: Office of Public Affairs), 1979, p. 19. DOE/OPA-0035 (79).
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expressed that she was always willing to talk to students at career days and similar events if asked.
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3rd edition Mary Mace Spradling, ed. (Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co.), 1980. p. 289.
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Effect of Turbulent Mixing on Average Fuel Temperatures in a Gas-Core Nuclear Rocket Engine.
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In 1955, Easley read a story in a local newspaper about twin sisters who worked for the
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Contemporary Black biography. profiles from the international Black community
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that maintained racial inequality, African Americans were required to pass a
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After divorcing her husband, Easley returned to Birmingham. As part of the
969:. Brigham Narin, Ed. (Detroit, Michigan: Gales Group), 2002. p. 210.
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Bleed Cycle Propellant Pumping in a Gas-Core Nuclear Rocket Engine System.
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872:"Annie Jean Easley: Engineer, mathematician, and rocket scientist"
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Annie Easley was interviewed in Cleveland on August 21, 2001, by
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probe, the launcher of which had the Centaur as its upper stage.
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for about two years. She left Xavier to get married and moved to
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793:. Brigham Narin, Ed. (Detroit, MI: Gales Group), 2002. p. 210.
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Spangenburg, Ray; Moser, Diane; Long, Douglas (2014-05-14).
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The ACM-Mills Conference on Pioneering Women in Computing.
139:(April 23, 1933 – June 25, 2011) was an African American
556:"Annie Easley helped make modern spaceflight possible"
513:(Interview). Interviewed by Sandra Johnson. Cleveland.
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Black Contributors to Science and Energy Technology.
713:"Annie Easley, Computer Scientist and Mathematician"
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in order to vote, which was outlawed in 1964 in the
965:"Easley, Annie J.: American Computer Scientist" in
789:"Easley, Annie J.: American Computer Scientist" in
531:. New York: Race Point Publishing. pp. 86–91.
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676:Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics
529:Power In Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics
956:Mills College, Oakland, California. May 7, 2000
382:Easley had always loved dressing up. She wore
431:List of African-American women in STEM fields
125:National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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1004:Black women scientists in the United States
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583:Mullig, A. (1999). Proffitt, Pamela (ed.).
266:National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
151:'s rocket systems and energy technologies.
129:National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
16:American mathematician and rocket scientist
1175:21st-century American women mathematicians
1170:20th-century American women mathematicians
973:Pendergast, Sara; Pendergast, Tom (2007).
804:"Easley, Annie J. | Encyclopedia.com"
589:. Michigan, United States: Gale. pp.
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921:"Annie Easley, Computer Scientist - NASA"
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171:Annie Easley was born to Bud and Willie (
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206:In 1950, Easley enrolled in classes at
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977:. Detroit, Michigan: Thomson Gale.
860:. NASA History Office. August 2024.
147:who made critical contributions to
1125:American women computer scientists
830:"Annie Easley, Computer Scientist"
767:"Annie Easley, Computer Scientist"
348:career that would last 34 years.'
255:Science and Engineering Newsletter
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1225:African-American women scientists
1110:Cleveland State University alumni
1070:African-American women engineers
711:Thomas, Kindra (16 March 2017).
1210:21st-century American academics
1185:20th-century American academics
1165:21st-century American engineers
1115:People from Birmingham, Alabama
1090:African-American mathematicians
1080:20th-century American engineers
898:"Annie J. Easley (1933-2011) •"
505:Annie Easley (21 August 2001).
1035:The Faces of Science Biography
896:Carpenter, Jana (2020-03-13).
651:historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov
647:"Annie J. Easley Oral History"
507:"Annie J. Easley Oral History"
477:. ClevelandOhio. 28 June 2011.
208:Xavier University of Louisiana
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1150:American computer programmers
828:Heidman, Kelly (2015-09-21).
765:Heidman, Kelly (2015-09-21).
270:John H. Glenn Research Center
161:Simple Object Access Protocol
1130:American computer scientists
878:(in Aragonese). 2 March 2015
471:"Annie Jean Easley Obituary"
281:Equal Employment Opportunity
1140:Mathematicians from Alabama
218:university, and majored in
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1085:African-American engineers
527:Williams, Talitha (2018).
239:Cleveland State University
101:Cleveland State University
1040:NASA Glen Research Center
967:World of Computer Science
791:World of Computer Science
679:. Race Point Publishing.
511:NASA Oral History Project
216:African-American Catholic
92:B.S. in Mathematics, 1977
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586:Notable Women Scientists
257:featuring Easley at the
229:In 1977, she obtained a
167:Early life and education
1135:Women rocket scientists
620:. Infobase Publishing.
377:Twenty-fourth Amendment
360:to be near his family.
197:Holy Family High School
1145:Engineers from Alabama
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1000:Warren, Wini (1999).
320:Glenn Research Center
316:Civil Rights Movement
259:Lewis Research Center
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184:Civil Rights Movement
121:Lewis Research Center
808:www.encyclopedia.com
324:Johnson Space Center
876:Rejected Princesses
231:Bachelor of Science
56:Birmingham, Alabama
1155:Software engineers
1030:BookRags Biography
747:. 26 November 2018
671:Williams, Talithia
562:. 13 February 2015
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141:computer scientist
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627:978-1-4381-0774-5
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235:Mathematics
212:New Orleans
192:Segregation
182:Before the
117:Employer(s)
81:Nationality
1054:Categories
927:2023-11-29
903:2023-11-29
882:2020-03-07
839:2020-06-09
776:2020-11-18
751:2020-04-23
656:2020-03-07
600:0787639001
566:2020-03-07
454:References
371:and pay a
199:, and was
177:Birmingham
159:) and the
107:Occupation
48:1933-04-23
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384:stockings
253:Cover of
224:Cleveland
89:Education
722:19 March
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