Gladys West
Mathematician whose work helped make GPS possible.
Their Story
Gladys West is an American mathematician who worked for the U.S. Navy. She used math and early computers to build precise models of the Earth's shape. Her detailed calculations of the planet's surface became an important part of the technology behind the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Era
1900s
Field
Mathematics & GPS
Gladys West
Mathematician whose work helped make GPS possible.
Engineering · Mathematics & GPS · 1900s · Women in STEM, Black Innovators
Their Story
Gladys West is an American mathematician who worked for the U.S. Navy. She used math and early computers to build precise models of the Earth's shape. Her detailed calculations of the planet's surface became an important part of the technology behind the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Key Innovation
Created precise mathematical models of Earth's shape that helped enable GPS.
Why It Matters Today
GPS guides maps, phones, cars, and deliveries every day, all built on careful math like West's.
Learn More
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_West
Wilkinson STEM Education Foundation · 251 American Innovators · wilkinsonstemfoundation.org
