Katherine Johnson was born Katherine Coleman on August 26, 1918. She was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Her parents were Joylette and Joshua Coleman. She was the youngest of their 4 children.
While Katherine was in school, she was a bright student and this allowed her to skip several grades. When it was time for Katherine to go to high school, her parents arranged for her to attend high school on the campus of the historically black West Virginia State College (WVSC). At the age of 18, she enrolled in WVSC, and graduated with highest honors in 1937. After graduating, Katherine started teaching at a black public school in Virginia. Later, she earned a PhD in Mathematics from the University of West Virginia.
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