Every time someone opens Google Maps, orders a ride share, or checks directions on their phone, they’re relying on a system that reshaped modern life.
What most people don’t know is that a Black woman mathematician helped make that system possible—and barely anyone learned her name.
Her name is Gladys West.
The Historical Context
During the Cold War era, the U.S. military was racing to improve satellite navigation and missile guidance systems. This work required extremely precise mathematical models of the Earth—its shape, curvature, and gravitational field.
In an era when Black women were rarely welcomed into scientific spaces. Gladys West entered a world dominated by white men, military secrecy, and advanced mathematics.
What Really Happened
Gladys West was a mathematician at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. Her work focused on geodesy—the science of measuring Earth’s shape.
She developed and refined complex mathematical models that allowed satellites to accurately map the planet. These calculations became foundational to the technology that would later evolve into the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation.
Without her work:
- Satellite positioning would be inaccurate
- Navigation systems would drift
- Modern GPS would not function as we know it
She helped turn raw satellite data into reliable, real-world location tracking.
Gladys West worked behind classified doors. Her role wasn’t flashy, and her contributions weren’t marketed.
- She was a Black woman in a segregated America
- She worked in a supporting technical role, not a public-facing one
- Credit flowed upward—to institutions, not individuals
While GPS became a global necessity, people who laid its groundwork. (especially Black contributors) were rarely named.
The Part History Forgot
For decades, Gladys West’s contributions went largely unrecognized. GPS was treated as a military and corporate achievement, not the result of individual brilliance.
It wasn’t until 2018, long after her retirement, that West was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame.
By then, GPS had already transformed:
- Transportation
- Emergency services
- Smartphones
- Global commerce
The world had benefited—but never said thank you.