Born: 1909 (Hertford, North Carolina)
Died: 1985
Biography:
Virginia Layden Tucker (1909 – January 19, 1985) was an American mathematician whose work at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the precursor to NASA, allowed engineers to design and improve upon airplanes. Tucker was one of the first human computers at the NACA, served as a recruiter for the program, and later worked as an aerodynamicist and an advocate for women in mathematics.
Tucker was born in Hertford, North Carolina in 1909. She was the valedictorian of Perquimans High School’s first graduating class in 1926 and is an alumna of the North Carolina College for Women where she graduated in 1930 with a B.A. in mathematics and a minor in education.
After completing her education, Tucker spent the next four years as a high school mathematics teacher in her hometown. In 1935, she was recruited to work at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (now Langley Research Center), the main research center for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, at the time. Tucker was one of five women from around the country recruited to be part of Langley’s first computer pool.
As human computers, Tucker and her colleagues were responsible for processing the large amounts of data gathered from flight, wind tunnel, and aeronautical tests conducted at the facility, as the NACA did not have electrical computers at the time. Tucker’s work as a human computer was crucial in the development of aircraft design and aerodynamics during this period.
During World War II, the demand for human computers at Langley grew rapidly as aeronautical technologies became a main priority for the U.S. Military. Tucker played a significant role in this expansion by traveling across the country, particularly in the South, recruiting and training female mathematicians for the program. Her efforts helped to diversify the field of mathematics and expand opportunities for women in engineering and science.
In 1946, Tucker’s expertise and leadership were recognized, and she was promoted to the position of Overall Supervisor for Computing at Langley. In this role, she oversaw around 400 female human computers, many of whom she had recruited herself. Tucker’s dedication to her work and her ability to inspire and lead her team contributed significantly to the success of the program.
In 1948, Tucker left the NACA to become a researcher at the Northrop Corporation. She continued to make an impact in the field of engineering by becoming an advocate for women in the profession. Tucker served as the director of the Los Angeles Section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and also chaired SWE’s National Finance Committee from 1955 to 1956. Additionally, she represented SWE to the Los Angeles Technical Societies Council in 1957.
After 17 years at Northrop, Tucker returned to North Carolina where she became the supervisor of a local school system until her retirement in 1974. Her dedication to education and her pioneering work in the field of mathematics and engineering left a lasting impact on both the scientific community and society as a whole.
Virginia Tucker died on January 19, 1985, at the age of 75. Her contributions to the field of aeronautics and her advocacy for women in mathematics and engineering continue to inspire future generations.