Lucas Honors NASA’s Hidden Figures at Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony

Washington, DC – Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas attended a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony, where he had the opportunity to honor the Hidden Figures, a group of women crucial to the space race. These women helped calculate the Apollo 11 mission to land the first astronaut on the moon.

Medals were presented to the families of Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. A fifth medal was presented to commemorate all Hidden Figures who contributed to NASA’s success between 1930-1970.

H.R.1396, the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act, was introduced by former House Science Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Chairman Lucas and signed into law in 2019. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the U.S. It is awarded to those who have performed an achievement that has impacted American history and culture and is likely to be recognized in the recipient’s field for years to come.

Chairman Lucas spoke at today’s ceremony, which you can watch by clicking here or on the image below.