COMPUTER SCIENTIST
Dorothy Vaughan
1910 - 2008

Dorothy Vaughan
Dorothy Jean Johnson Vaughan (September 20, 1910 – November 10, 2008) was an American mathematician and human computer who worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and NASA, at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. In 1949, she became acting supervisor of the West Area Computers, the first African-American woman to receive a promotion and supervise a group of staff at the center. She later was promoted officially to the position of supervisor. During her 28-year career, Vaughan prepared for the introduction of computers in the early 1960s by teaching herself and her staff the Fortran programming language. Read more on Wikipedia
Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Dorothy Vaughan is the 24th most popular computer scientist (down from 20th in 2019), the 1,828th most popular biography from United States (down from 1,374th in 2019) and the 16th most popular American Computer Scientist.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Dorothy Vaughan by language
Among COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
Among computer scientists, Dorothy Vaughan ranks 24 out of 245. Before her are John Cocke, Don Norman, Andrew S. Tanenbaum, John Backus, Ken Thompson, and Alan Kay. After her are Vint Cerf, Larry Page, Sudha Murty, George Dantzig, Arthur Samuel, and Edgar F. Codd.
Most Popular Computer Scientists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJohn Cocke
1925 - 2002
HPI: 68.32
Rank: 18
Don Norman
1935 - Present
HPI: 68.16
Rank: 19
Andrew S. Tanenbaum
1944 - Present
HPI: 67.79
Rank: 20
John Backus
1924 - 2007
HPI: 67.57
Rank: 21
Ken Thompson
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 22
Alan Kay
1940 - Present
HPI: 66.78
Rank: 23
Dorothy Vaughan
1910 - 2008
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 24
Vint Cerf
1943 - Present
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 25
Larry Page
1973 - Present
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 26
Sudha Murty
1950 - Present
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 27
George Dantzig
1914 - 2005
HPI: 66.07
Rank: 28
Arthur Samuel
1901 - 1990
HPI: 66.01
Rank: 29
Edgar F. Codd
1923 - 2003
HPI: 65.91
Rank: 30
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1910, Dorothy Vaughan ranks 61. Before her are Said bin Taimur, Diosdado Macapagal, Diana Mosley, Farid al-Atrash, August Landmesser, and Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz. After her are Miguel Najdorf, Shunichi Kumai, Lobsang Rampa, Galina Ulanova, A. J. Ayer, and Ferdinand Daučík. Among people deceased in 2008, Dorothy Vaughan ranks 62. Before her are Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Chiara Lubich, Horst Tappert, Bernardin Gantin, Ivan Rebroff, and George Carlin. After her are Henri Cartan, Muslim Magomayev, Sufi Abu Taleb, Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, Mauricio Kagel, and Hugo Claus.
Others Born in 1910
Go to all RankingsSaid bin Taimur
POLITICIAN
1910 - 1972
HPI: 67.20
Rank: 55
Diosdado Macapagal
POLITICIAN
1910 - 1997
HPI: 67.14
Rank: 56
Diana Mosley
WRITER
1910 - 2003
HPI: 66.86
Rank: 57
Farid al-Atrash
MUSICIAN
1910 - 1974
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 58
August Landmesser
POLITICIAN
1910 - 1944
HPI: 66.59
Rank: 59
Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz
POLITICIAN
1910 - 1999
HPI: 66.55
Rank: 60
Dorothy Vaughan
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1910 - 2008
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 61
Miguel Najdorf
CHESS PLAYER
1910 - 1997
HPI: 66.44
Rank: 62
Shunichi Kumai
SOCCER PLAYER
1910 - Present
HPI: 66.35
Rank: 63
Lobsang Rampa
WRITER
1910 - 1981
HPI: 66.23
Rank: 64
Galina Ulanova
DANCER
1910 - 1998
HPI: 66.11
Rank: 65
A. J. Ayer
PHILOSOPHER
1910 - 1989
HPI: 66.06
Rank: 66
Ferdinand Daučík
SOCCER PLAYER
1910 - 1986
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 67
Others Deceased in 2008
Go to all RankingsMaharishi Mahesh Yogi
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1918 - 2008
HPI: 67.27
Rank: 56
Chiara Lubich
WRITER
1920 - 2008
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 57
Horst Tappert
ACTOR
1923 - 2008
HPI: 67.13
Rank: 58
Bernardin Gantin
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1922 - 2008
HPI: 67.03
Rank: 59
Ivan Rebroff
SINGER
1931 - 2008
HPI: 66.96
Rank: 60
George Carlin
COMEDIAN
1937 - 2008
HPI: 66.65
Rank: 61
Dorothy Vaughan
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1910 - 2008
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 62
Henri Cartan
MATHEMATICIAN
1904 - 2008
HPI: 66.23
Rank: 63
Muslim Magomayev
SINGER
1942 - 2008
HPI: 66.23
Rank: 64
Sufi Abu Taleb
POLITICIAN
1925 - 2008
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 65
Khertek Anchimaa-Toka
POLITICIAN
1912 - 2008
HPI: 65.77
Rank: 66
Mauricio Kagel
COMPOSER
1931 - 2008
HPI: 65.51
Rank: 67
Hugo Claus
WRITER
1929 - 2008
HPI: 65.30
Rank: 68
In United States
Among people born in United States, Dorothy Vaughan ranks 1,828 out of 20,380. Before her are Cliff Robertson (1923), Richard Serra (1939), Gregory Goodwin Pincus (1903), Kevin McHale (1957), Jim Lovell (1928), and Douglas McGregor (1906). After her are Minoru Yamasaki (1912), Teri Hatcher (1964), Larry Flynt (1942), Henry Rollins (1961), Nick Adams (1931), and Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsCliff Robertson
ACTOR
1923 - 2011
HPI: 66.52
Rank: 1,822
Richard Serra
PAINTER
1939 - 2024
HPI: 66.51
Rank: 1,823
Gregory Goodwin Pincus
BIOLOGIST
1903 - 1967
HPI: 66.51
Rank: 1,824
Kevin McHale
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1957 - Present
HPI: 66.51
Rank: 1,825
Jim Lovell
ASTRONAUT
1928 - Present
HPI: 66.51
Rank: 1,826
Douglas McGregor
ECONOMIST
1906 - 1964
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 1,827
Dorothy Vaughan
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1910 - 2008
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 1,828
Minoru Yamasaki
ARCHITECT
1912 - 1986
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 1,829
Teri Hatcher
ACTOR
1964 - Present
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 1,830
Larry Flynt
BUSINESSPERSON
1942 - 2021
HPI: 66.49
Rank: 1,831
Henry Rollins
PRESENTER
1961 - Present
HPI: 66.48
Rank: 1,832
Nick Adams
ACTOR
1931 - 1968
HPI: 66.48
Rank: 1,833
Alfred Thayer Mahan
WRITER
1840 - 1914
HPI: 66.48
Rank: 1,834
Among COMPUTER SCIENTISTS In United States
Among computer scientists born in United States, Dorothy Vaughan ranks 16. Before her are John Cocke (1925), Don Norman (1935), Andrew S. Tanenbaum (1944), John Backus (1924), Ken Thompson (1943), and Alan Kay (1940). After her are Vint Cerf (1943), Larry Page (1973), George Dantzig (1914), Arthur Samuel (1901), Ward Cunningham (1949), and Richard E. Stearns (1936).
John Cocke
1925 - 2002
HPI: 68.32
Rank: 10
Don Norman
1935 - Present
HPI: 68.16
Rank: 11
Andrew S. Tanenbaum
1944 - Present
HPI: 67.79
Rank: 12
John Backus
1924 - 2007
HPI: 67.57
Rank: 13
Ken Thompson
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 14
Alan Kay
1940 - Present
HPI: 66.78
Rank: 15
Dorothy Vaughan
1910 - 2008
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 16
Vint Cerf
1943 - Present
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 17
Larry Page
1973 - Present
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 18
George Dantzig
1914 - 2005
HPI: 66.07
Rank: 19
Arthur Samuel
1901 - 1990
HPI: 66.01
Rank: 20
Ward Cunningham
1949 - Present
HPI: 65.87
Rank: 21
Richard E. Stearns
1936 - Present
HPI: 65.56
Rank: 22