03/19/2026
Before supersonic jets could soar, Dorothy McFadden Hoover did the math. ✈️🖤
Born in 1918 in Hope, Arkansas, the granddaughter of enslaved people, Dorothy graduated high school at age 15 and college by 19—one of only two math majors in her class .
But her greatest work was just beginning.
Hired as one of the first Black women "human computers" at NACA (later NASA) in 1943, Dorothy's brilliance quickly set her apart . She was selected to work directly with Robert T. Jones, one of the premier aeronautical engineers of the twentieth century—the first Black woman to join an integrated research division .
Her calculations and research helped design the "thin sweptback tapered wing" —the revolutionary design that makes supersonic flight possible .
Today, every aircraft that flies at supersonic speeds—commercial jets, fighter planes, even the space shuttle—uses Dorothy's design concepts .
She became:
✅ The first African American woman co-author on NASA research publications
✅ The first woman (of any race) to earn a master's in physics from the University of Arkansas
✅ One of the first Black women promoted to GS-13 in federal government
✅ A 2023 inductee into the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame
Dorothy McFadden Hoover didn't just break barriers. She built wings that carried humanity higher.
At RTL Associates, we believe in honoring legacies like Dorothy's—women whose intellect, perseverance, and vision protected and propelled generations to come.
👉 Drop a ✈️ if you're inspired by this Hidden Figure today.
(image by Richard D. Sallee)