![]() ![]() In addition to her stroke, West had quadruple bypass surgery and then was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. Despite the setbacks she incurred from her stroke, West persevered to complete her Ph.D. Her hearing, vision, and balance on her right side, were impacted by the stroke. However, five months after retirement, West had a stroke. She was looking forward to writing her dissertation. One of the things she hoped to accomplish in her retirement was completing her Ph.d in Philosophy at Virginia Tech. West retired from Dahlgren Naval Base in 1998. She is credited with saving tax payers thousands of dollars. She often worked many long hours, so much, in fact, that she greatly increased her team’s productivity and processing time. West was excited to be working with great scientists on such an important project. West and her team used the supercomputers to analyze the calculations using complex algorithms. It was her responsibility to gather location data from orbiting machines to analyze surface elevations. West used supercomputers that filled several large rooms to do her work. After graduation, she began seeking employment and was offered a job at Dahlgren Naval Base. She majored in Math and then taught for two years before returning to school for her master’s degree. West graduated at the top of her high school class and was awarded a scholarship to Virginia State College. She knew that education would play a key role in her having a better quality of life. West is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.Īs a young African American girl growing up in Dinwiddie County, Gladys Mae Brown was determined that she did not want to work in the fields, picking cotton, corn, or tobacco like her parents did. Gladys West’s work in the development of GPS technology, was discovered when she was preparing a bio for a sorority function. At the time, she was one of only four black employees one of which, named Ira West, would become her husband. ![]() She was the second African American woman hired at Dahlgren Naval Base. 87 year old Gladys West worked at the naval base in Dahlgren, Virginia for 42 years. Gladys West, an African American mathematician, was part of the scientific and engineering team that developed Global Positioning System (GPS) technology during the 1950’s and 60’s. There is no doubt of the pivotal role GPS technology plays in so many facets of our lives. Black History: Special Delivery!! Gladys & Ira West ![]()
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