Dr. Nancy Grace Roman was interested in astronomy from the very beginning. Born in Tenessee in 1925, in elementary school Roman was a co-founder of an astronomy club. She went on to excel in a Baltimore high school and attended Swarthmore College to earn her bachelors degree in Astronomy. In 1949, she received her doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago.
Shortly after earning her Ph.D., Dr. Roman found a star with unusual emission spectra. This discovery helped her create a name for herself among astronomers.
She began her work teaching at the University of Chicago but left because she didn’t see a future for herself there. She believed that she would never receive tenure simply because she was a woman.
I’m happy about the fact that women can get senior jobs now. They’re not being quite as discouraged as I was.
Nancy Grace Roman
In 1959, Dr. Roman became NASA’s first chief of astronomy. She traveled across the country, speaking to astronomers and giving lectures. She spoke of the advantage of observing the stars from outer space: no light pollution, no clouds, and no atmosphere to block parts of the signal. Most importantly, however, she spoke about and lobbied for the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Roman spoke to secure funding for the project. She pushed for designs to be drawn. Her work has earned her the title “the Mother of Hubble.” And yet, very few people have heard of her.
It wouldn’t be until 1990, after her retirement, that she would see her efforts launched into orbit.
Dr. Nancy Grace Roman died in 2018 at the age of 93. A fantastic scientist, inspirational woman, and passionate person, her legacy lives on in our beloved Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Roman did everything she could to help the Hubble Space Telescope project. Who knows where it would have gone without her? But Dr. Roman is largely forgotten. Time is washing her memory into oblivion. We must keep Dr. Roman and every other influential woman in history alive. I, among others, must write about her. You must talk about her. We must remember her.
To read about more women in science, check out the links below:
- A Trip into the Life of Sally Ride
- Mae Jemison: Astronaut, Doctor, Icon
- Nancy Grace Roman: the Mother of Hubble
madison brewer 