Quotes by Katherine Johnson

“I found what I was looking for at Langley. This was what a research mathematician did. I went to work every day for 33 years happy. Never did I get up and say I don't want to go to work.”

“We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathe...”

“I like to learn. That's an art and a science.”

“I'm always interested in learning something new.”

“I don't have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I'm as good as anybody, but no better.”

“John Glenn's life will long be remembered for his time in space, his courage, and his service to all Americans.”

“Go see 'Hidden Figures,' and take a young person! It will give a more positive outlook on what is possible if you work hard, do your best, and are prepared.”

“Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.”

“Men don't pay attention to small things.”

“In the cafeteria, we just ignored the sign [for segregated seating]. But at some point, we started eating at our desks. When we left work, our lives were definitely separate — separate communities,...”

“But then we’d be back with our colleagues on the job. People are people. My father’s advice helped. He said, You’re no better than anybody else, but nobody is better than you.”

“I was always interested in math. I counted everything as a child — the number of steps up the stairs, the dishes, the steps to church. Those thoughts just came naturally. While I skipped grades in ...”

“It’s just there. You can’t do anything without it. It’s in everything. I like to work problems. If you do your best, nobody can ask you to do it over again. I never had to repeat what I did.”

“I believed I was where I was supposed to be. When I was a student, my mentor told me I’d make a good research mathematician. I said, What is that? and he told me I’d have to find out for myself. At...”

“We put in some long hours at times, and I had three children at home. But they were very responsible, and I had family and friends who helped look after them.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time tutoring kids in math as a volunteer. I’ve always enjoyed helping people understand what they can find in math. There’s no judgment there.”