4 ‘Hidden Figures’ women to be honored with Congress medals

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Four black women who gained national attention in a recent book and movie for groundbreaking NASA work in Virginia during space-race years will receive special awards from Congress.

The Daily Press of Newport News reports President Donald Trump signed into law on Friday the “Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which will recognize Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, as well as the late Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.

Johnson is known for calculating trajectories for famous flights by astronauts Alan Shepard and John Glenn. Vaughan became a computer programming expert, while Jackson and Darden were pioneering engineers working at the Langley Research Center.

Bill backers include Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. They say the four failed to receive their deserved recognition for far too long.