INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State University is again laying down a wreath in honor of former alum and NASA pioneer Katherine Johnson.
August 26th marks Katherine Johnson’s birthday and was later declared Katherine Johnson Day by the state Legislature. It’s representative of the groundbreaking legacy in mathematics and aerospace navigation Johnson leaves behind, and which had all begun following her two graduations from WVSU — from her college graduation in 1937 at 18 years old and from high school at just 15 prior to that.
WVSU faculty, staff and students gathered around the statue of Johnson on campus Monday for the annual wreath laying ceremony. 
WVSU President Ericke Cage said honoring Katherine every year is a unifying moment for the university.
“It underscores why we’re doing what we’re doing, it underscores the true transformative power of a higher education,” Cage said. “We know Katherine came to our institution with a commitment to hard work, to perseverance and a belief in the power of education.”
A native of White Sulphur Springs, WV, Johnson first came to the university at the age of 10 to attend the high school that used to be a part of WVSU’s campus. From there, she immediately took up college courses at the institution, excelling in all of her studies and graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and French.
Johnson then went on to fulfill her groundbreaking career at NASA as a “computer” at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. As a computer, she calculated the flight trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
However, even after NASA began using electronic computers, John Glenn, former astronaut and U.S. Senator requested that Johnson personally recheck the calculations before his flight aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft.
Current Nu Chapter President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at WVSU, Diorre Robertson said attending the same school and being a part of the same sorority as Johnson is a true honor she is happy to celebrate.
“It’s such a big honor to be at the school that Katherine Johnson graduated at, it really is truly just an honor, because, without her, things would have been so different, there might not be astronauts in space, she had such a big impact,” Roberson said.
In her later years at NASA, Johnson worked on the Space Shuttle program and the Earth Resources Satellite. She also encouraged students to pursue careers in science and technology fields.
Johnson worked at NASA until 1986, retiring after 33 years of service.
During her tenure with the space agency, Johnson received many prestigious awards, including the NASA Lunar Orbiter Award and three NASA Special Achievement Awards. She was named Mathematician of the Year in 1997 by the National Technical Association and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015
Johnson’s legacy came to be recognized in the book, “Hidden Figures,” as well as a movie with the same name.
Cage said that such a legacy which Johnson has bestowed serves as a true reminder to all of the students at WVSU that through hard work and perseverance, they too can achieve great things.
“She didn’t allow her life circumstances to dictate where her journey would ultimately take her, working again alongside some of the brightest minds in this country at NASA to help us win the Space Race, so she is a true symbol, a true testament to what is possible,” said Cage.
Robertson said she agrees, Johnson’s legacy should serve as inspiration to all students who call the campus at WVSU their own.
“I think it inspires students that if you work hard like your work will pay off for it, you know, you work hard, you play hard,” said Roberson.
The day before Johnson’s 100th birthday on August 25, 2018, WVSU dedicated an endowed scholarship fund and plaza featuring the statue in her honor. Johnson passed away in February 2020.