James was a chemistry teacher. He lived in Marion and got married to an educated and elegant university graduate lady of his choice.
Life was moving smoothly; however, the mid centuries brought the fall for James.
James fell ill when he was in their hometown. His illness turned into a protracted fight against an inoperable brain tumor (cancer). This was both costly and tiring.
His wife had to take a job since he could not continue with work.
It is believed that James and his wife took multiple careers, like teaching, throughout their lives to raise their children. Being a unique brain inside a black woman, during times of discrimination, Katherine had to wait till she got a chance to enroll in a university degree and get a job at NASA.
It was the time when the death of an African American lady at the age of 35 would be more natural news than her authority.
It was difficult for the family to meet their ends when the head of the family was ill, and female employees were not paid as much as their male counterparts.
James and his family were patient enough to deal with all the difficulties and face them with courage. James received good support from his in-laws for re-establishing his wife’s career in such harsh times.
Their migration to Newport after the diagnosis, including her entry into NASA, was a game-changer for his family.
Apollo 11 is one of the major highlights; her impeccable calculations made other planets like Mercury and earth’s orbit in space accessible to earth folks.
All of it was not a piece of cake, though. She had to wake up encouraged to work every single day.
James could not support her financially but was a binding force and moral support which prevented the family from falling apart while everyone was trying to build their career.
James inspired the humble nature of Katherine. She felt equal to her male colleagues in NASA as she proved her diligence through myriad calculations.
She deflected praise on doing what had to be done for the job.
James was excited to learn about her achievements through newspapers.
