Dr. Gladys West was a mathematician at the Naval Surface Warfare Center whose research laid the groundwork for modern GPS. She was a role model for women in STEM, overcoming segregation and hardship, to earn a Bachelor's and a Master's in Mathematics in the 1950s and a 42 year career at NSWC. After she retired, she earned her PhD ... at age 70! She died this weekend at 95.
‘Hidden Figure’ Gladys West, GPS pioneer and Navy civilian, dies at 95
West’s genius secured her a position in 1956 at the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, then called Naval Proving Ground, where she worked for over 40 years.
militarytimes.com