https://www.denver7.com/obituaries/gladys-west-mathematician-whose-work-made-gps-possible-dies-at-95
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Dr. Gladys West, the mathematician whose groundbreaking work made GPS possible, has died at the age of 95.
West passed away over the weekend, surrounded by family and friends.
Born on a Dinwiddie County farm in Virginia during the Great Depression, West overcame segregation to become a groundbreaking scientist.
At the Naval Surface Warfare Center, she spent years calculating precise models of Earth's shape. Her mathematical work became the backbone of the Global Positioning System we all use today.
"This woman had so much knowledge and was just such a beautiful person," said Marvin Jackson, Gladys' biographer, in a 2022 interview.
Published by Legacy Remembers from Jan. 20 to Jan. 21, 2026.
Dr. Gladys Mae West, the American mathematician whose groundbreaking work helped make the Global Positioning System (GPS) possible, died January 17, 2026, at the age of 95.
Born Gladys Mae Brown on October 27, 1930, in Sutherland, Virginia, West grew up on a small farm in a sharecropping community. She excelled academically, graduating valedictorian of her high school class and earning a scholarship to Virginia State College (now Virginia State University). She completed a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1952 and returned for a master's degree in mathematics in 1955.
Before entering government research, she taught mathematics and science in Virginia's public schools.
In 1956, West joined the U.S. Naval Proving Ground (later Naval Surface Warfare Center) in Dahlgren, Virginia, as a programmer and mathematician. She was only the second Black woman ever hired there, and one of only a handful of Black professionals employed at the facility. It was there she met fellow mathematician Ira West, whom she married in 1957; they had three children.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, West used large-scale computers to perform complex calculations and to develop extremely precise mathematical models of the Earth's shape. These models were essential to the development of satellite geodesy, the scientific foundation underpinning modern GPS technology.
Despite the significance of her contributions, West's role remained little-known outside professional circles for decades. Recognition grew in later years, especially after her contributions were highlighted by members of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and through broader media coverage.
West received several honors late in life, including induction into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018. That same year, she was named Female Alumna of the Year at her alma mater, and the BBC included her in their annual "100 Women" list. Later, an elementary school in Fredericksburg, Virginia was named after her.
By Legacy News Staff
https://archive.is/kH0eW
Dr. Gladys West, the mathematician whose groundbreaking work made GPS possible, has died at the age of 95.
West passed away over the weekend, surrounded by family and friends.
Born on a Dinwiddie County farm in Virginia during the Great Depression, West overcame segregation to become a groundbreaking scientist.
At the Naval Surface Warfare Center, she spent years calculating precise models of Earth's shape. Her mathematical work became the backbone of the Global Positioning System we all use today.
"This woman had so much knowledge and was just such a beautiful person," said Marvin Jackson, Gladys' biographer, in a 2022 interview.
Gladys West Obituary
Published by Legacy Remembers from Jan. 20 to Jan. 21, 2026.
Dr. Gladys Mae West, the American mathematician whose groundbreaking work helped make the Global Positioning System (GPS) possible, died January 17, 2026, at the age of 95.
Born Gladys Mae Brown on October 27, 1930, in Sutherland, Virginia, West grew up on a small farm in a sharecropping community. She excelled academically, graduating valedictorian of her high school class and earning a scholarship to Virginia State College (now Virginia State University). She completed a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1952 and returned for a master's degree in mathematics in 1955.
Before entering government research, she taught mathematics and science in Virginia's public schools.
In 1956, West joined the U.S. Naval Proving Ground (later Naval Surface Warfare Center) in Dahlgren, Virginia, as a programmer and mathematician. She was only the second Black woman ever hired there, and one of only a handful of Black professionals employed at the facility. It was there she met fellow mathematician Ira West, whom she married in 1957; they had three children.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, West used large-scale computers to perform complex calculations and to develop extremely precise mathematical models of the Earth's shape. These models were essential to the development of satellite geodesy, the scientific foundation underpinning modern GPS technology.
Despite the significance of her contributions, West's role remained little-known outside professional circles for decades. Recognition grew in later years, especially after her contributions were highlighted by members of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and through broader media coverage.
West received several honors late in life, including induction into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018. That same year, she was named Female Alumna of the Year at her alma mater, and the BBC included her in their annual "100 Women" list. Later, an elementary school in Fredericksburg, Virginia was named after her.
By Legacy News Staff
