Hidden Figures Bronze Medal Mary Jackson

Mary Winston Jackson was an African American mathematician and aerospace engineer. She became the first Black female engineer at NASA, where she excelled academically during a time of racial segregation.

The obverse (heads) depicts Mary W. Jackson holding an early model of the space shuttle. Inscriptions are “MARY W. JACKSON,” “NASA’S FIRST BLACK FEMALE AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER,” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 2019.”

The reverse (tail) features a full-length figure of Mary W. Jackson holding a clipboard and pen, superimposed on a large wind tunnel, representing her work with air boundary layer information. The inscriptions “AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER,” “HUMANITARIAN,” “MATHEMATICIAN,” and “EDUCATOR” encircle the design.