Short Biography: Dr. Mae C. Jemison

Bessie was born April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee to a part time Baptist preacher, William Smith, and his wife Laura. The family was large and poor. Soon after she was born her father died. Laura lived until Bessie was only nine years old. The remaining children had to learn to take care of themselves. Her sister Viola then raised her. But it was her oldest brother,

16, 1952 in New York City. She received a BA from Adelphi University, then she attended

Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton was born at New York City, November 21, 1947. Her father dreamt that all of his daughters would become doctors. Her choice to attend Medical School was highly her own intention. After Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton graduated from Monmouth University, she was accepted at Columbia University of medical physician. Thornton and her husband volunteered active duty in the U.S Navy, and she became Lieutenant Commander in the Medical Corps.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was born on July 10, 1875 in Maysville, South Carolina. Mary’s family worked by being in the fields picking cotton. . Mary’s parents decided to buy a farm for the family. She helped her mother by washing white people clothes and when she was allowed to go into the children’s nursery she was fascinated with toys. Mary picked up a book and one of the white children took it from her telling her that she couldn’t read which inspired her to learn how to read. She was the only child to go to school that opened for African American children. Later, she received a scholarship for Scotia Seminary which is now called Barber Scotia College located in Concord, North Carolina. Later in the year Mary attended Dwight L. Moody’s Institute

Essie Mae Moody also known as Anne Moody was born September 15, 1940 in Wilkerson County Mississippi to Fred Moody and Elnire Davis. (briticanna.com) She was the eldest of nine. After her parents divorced, Moody grew up with her mother nicknamed, Toosweet in Centreville Mississippi. Meanwhile her father lived nearby in a town known as Woodville Mississippi. In order to help support her family Moody had to

Mary Jane McLeod Bethune (July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was born in Mayesville, South Carolina. She was the 15th of 17 children born to both former slaves. When she was young, she took an interest in education. Bethune attended college in hopes to become a missionary in Africa.

Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 in Atlanta, Texas. She was one of thirteen children to Susan Coleman and George Coleman. Her parents were both sharecroppers. Her father later ended up leaving to seek better opportunities in Oklahoma. Her mother tried her best to support her family. Once the children were old enough, they would help contribute in sharecropping. At twelve years old Bessie decided to go to Oklahoma

Katherine Johnson did not have the same childhood as most of those growing up with her, she surpassed them in academics tremendously. Katherine Johnson was born on August 26, 1918, to parents Joylette Coleman and Joshua Coleman in the small town of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. While growing up in this small town, she attended school to which she excelled in all classes and was in high school by age 10. She would go on and graduate high school at 14 and enter college at West Virginia State University. At age 18 she would graduate summa cum laude with Bachelor degrees in Science and French. After college, she married a man by the name of James Francis Goble in 1939 and had three daughters with him, Constance, Katherine and Joylette Goble. After her husband tragically passed away in 1956, she met a man named James A. Johnson and married him in 1959.

Mae Jemison was born October 17, 1956. She moved to chicago and called it her hometown. Mae Jemison spent most of her time in the school library, reading all about science, planets, and other objects in outer space. In high school, Mae Jemison decided to become a biomedical engineer.

Maya Angelou was born in Saint Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. When Angelou was three years old, her parents got a divorce and she moved to the East side of Stamps, Arkansas to live with her grandma and older brother Bailey. During this time, Arkansas was an extremely segregated place, so Angelou had never seen a white person before. Most of the people in town imagined white people being ghosts and believed they could stick their hand right through them. Although Stamps was a very segregated town, it was also a very musical place. Angelou was eight years old when she began writing poetry and songs. She also enjoyed dancing, acting, being a street conductor, cooking, waitressing, and singing.

April 4th 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Marguerite Johnson was born to Bailey and Vivian Johnson. (Maya Angelou Timeline, datesandevents.org) She grew up with an older brother

Born on May 10, 1900, in Westchester England, Cecilia Helena Payne went on stargazing escapades as a child with her mother, Elena Pertz. Once, she saw a meteor stream across the sky and decided at age five to become an astronomer.

Mae Jemison was an astronaut,she loved it dearly. Jemison believed in following her dreams and it took her right into space. Jemison was born October 17,1956 in Decatur Alabama but she called Chicago Illinois her hometown. She grew up with big dreams that later became the pinnacle of her existence. She had a strong talent for dancing at age 9. Also at age 16 she attended Stanford University studying chemical engineering.

Luma went to the States and attended, Hobart and William Smith College in New York. Although after one year she had a knee injury. When Winter came in New York, Luma decided to move to another university; because it was cold in

A few years later her parents separated and her mother committed suicide in the mid 1940s.Heese then went on and graduated from New York's School of Industrial Art at only the age of sixteen and then in 1959 she received