News Flash

June 25, 2020 - The name of the Washington, D.C., headquarters of NASA will bear the name of Mary Jackson, according to a NASA announcement.

The building sits on Hidden Figures Way, a street named for Jackson, Katherine Johnson and many other “human computers” who helped with the space race.

Jackson, NASA’s first African-American engineer, was born and raised Hampton. She lived on Lincoln Street and graduated from Phenix High School and Hampton Institute.

Carolyn Lewis, Mary’s daughter, was quoted in the release: “We are honored that NASA continues to celebrate the legacy of our mother and grandmother Mary W. Jackson. She was a scientist, humanitarian, wife, mother, and trailblazer who paved the way for thousands of others to succeed, not only at NASA, but throughout this nation.”

Jackson was a volunteer for many Hampton organizations, including Girl Scouts and the United Way. She also taught young people in the science club of the Olde Hampton Community Center about science and space. Hampton recognized Jackson as a “Hampton Hero” in 2019, the inaugural year of the program to honor residents who, in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., built brides and worked for social justice and equal rights. 

In 2018, City Council passed a resolution naming the replacement building for that Olde Hampton center for Mary Jackson.