Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) on Wednesday joined House and Senate leadership at a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony in the U.S. Capitol that honored West Virginian Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christina Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and all of the women who contributed to the success of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race. During the ceremony, Capito delivered remarks and presented a Congressional Gold Medal to Katherine Johnson’s daughters, Joylette and Katherine.

Capito has spearheaded efforts to honor the life and legacy of Katherine Johnson, including championing legislation to honor her, as well as her colleagues, with the Congressional Gold Medal. Additionally, she introduced legislation to rename the NASA IV&V Facility in Fairmont after Johnson and a resolution that honored Johnson’s life.

Born in 1918, Johnson’s intense curiosity and brilliance with numbers led her to a distinguished career spanning more than three decades with NASA and its predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Among her professional accomplishments, Johnson calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 mission in 1961.

The following year, Johnson performed the work for which she would become best known, when she was asked to verify the results made by electronic computers to calculate the orbit for John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission. She went on to provide calculations for NASA missions throughout her career, including several Apollo missions. 

Capito’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are included below:

“I am thrilled to be here today for this event, to celebrate the achievements of this group, and I congratulate all of the worthy recipients: Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and all of the women who contributed to the success of NASA during the Space Race.

“But, you’ll forgive me if one stands out in my heart and that is my fellow West Virginian Katherine Johnson who I just mentioned in that list. 

“I am also so glad that Katherine’s daughters–Joylette and Katherine–could be here today to honor their mother. 

“Joylette and Katherine: You should be so proud. And I know that you are.

“This event truly speaks to the notion that your mother and her remarkable colleagues are Hidden No More. 

“It’s been said that Katherine Johnson ‘counted everything.’ But today, we are here to celebrate the one thing even she couldn’t count: the impact she has had on the lives of students, teachers, and explorers.

“Katherine proved to us that no obstacle is too high if you work hard and believe in your goals.

“As a West Virginian, Katherine used her toughness and grit to surpass societal barriers and turn her dreams into a reality.

“Her legacy will be remembered every time we look up at the moon and remember how her work took us there for the first time.

“I am not only inspired by Katherine’s story, but I am also inspired by her kindness and humility.

“I have no doubt that generations of little girls who also aspire to reach the stars will draw strength and encouragement from Katherine’s legacy.

“Her work is no longer hidden by the shadows of the men she put on the moon, and she will forever be a star in the Mountain State and across the country.

“I’ll end with this: When Katherine’s daughters were growing up, she would ask them when they came home from school: 

“‘What did you learn today?’

“So today, at the end of this day, may we all say we learned a little more about these remarkable women who exemplified the best of what humanity can offer – Hidden no more!

“Thank you.”