Jeanette Scissum: A Trailblazing Mathematician
In August, Jeanette Scissum, the first Black female mathematician hired by NASA’s Wernher Von Braun in 1964, was honored with a key to the city of Guntersville alongside her cousin, Barbara Jean Anthony. Their careers were celebrated for breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations.
Early Life and Education
Scissum grew up in Guntersville, attending the area’s only Black school, Lakeview School. Her parents instilled a strong belief in education; her father, a veteran and sharecropper, always encouraged her academic pursuits. In 1956, she graduated as a valedictorian, which ultimately fulfilled her father’s dream.
Attending Alabama A&M University on a work-study scholarship, Scissum juggled her mathematics studies with a job as a switchboard operator. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees there, later teaching at Huntsville’s only Black high school.
Career at NASA
Encouraged by her mother, who worked for the hiring director at Marshall Space Flight Center, Scissum pursued a position at NASA. After impressing Wernher Von Braun in her interviews, she secured an entry-level mathematician job. Her contributions to the Apollo missions were significant; she helped determine lunar landing sites and co-authored mission codes.
In 1967, she published “Survey of Solar Cycle Prediction Models,” which explored sunspot cycles and laid the groundwork for modern forecasting techniques. Her work is still used today, as sunspot knowledge is fundamental to understanding solar activity.
Legacy and Personal Life
After 13 years at Marshall, Scissum returned to Alabama A&M to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science, working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center until her retirement in 2005. Family-oriented, she emphasized education’s importance to her children, all of whom pursued higher education or military service.
Now 86, Jeanette faces Parkinson’s and dementia but cherishes her memories. Her life exemplifies resilience and serves as an inspiration to many—proving that overcoming obstacles is possible through hard work and dedication.
