Archive · 28 Jan 2026
Gladys West: Mathematician Behind GPS
Gladys Mae West was a brilliant mathematician who helped create the GPS system that we use every day.
Born in rural Virginia in 1930, she worked hard to get a scholarship to college and earned degrees in mathematics.
She became a programmer and worked on a special computer that could map the Earth's shape.
This work was very important for making GPS possible.
Even though her work was secret for a long time, she was later recognized for her amazing contributions.
She passed away in January 2024 at the age of 95.
Gladys Mae West was a mathematician whose work was crucial in developing the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Born on October 27, 1930, in rural Virginia, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from Virginia State College.
West became a programmer at a naval base and worked on the Seasat radar altimetry project, the first satellite to monitor the oceans.
She programmed an IBM 7030 Stretch computer to create detailed mathematical models of the Earth's shape, which were foundational for GPS technology.
Despite her significant contributions, her work was classified, and she remained relatively unknown until the 2016 movie 'Hidden Figures' highlighted her achievements.
- Who
- Gladys Mae West, a mathematician and programmer
- What
- Her work was critical in the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS)
- When
- She was born on October 27, 1930, and died on January 17, 2024
- Where
- She was born in rural Virginia and died in Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Why
- Her detailed mathematical models of the Earth's shape were foundational for GPS technology
- Name
- Gladys Mae West
- Birth Date
- October 27, 1930
- Birth Place
- Rural Virginia, USA
- Death Date
- January 17, 2024
- Death Place
- Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
- Age at Death
- 95
- Education
- Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mathematics from Virginia State College
- Profession
- Mathematician and Programmer
- Notable Work
- Contribution to the development of GPS
- Awards
- Inducted into the US Air Force Hall of Fame (2018)