Nancy Grace Roman earned her PhD in astronomy in 1949 from the University of Chicago. Her research focused on the area of spectral classification, which uses light to understand the temperature, brightness and location of stars. Realizing that as a woman she had no chance at tenure at UC, Roman left for the Naval Research Laboratory. While there, she provided astronomy consultation for the Project Vanguard satellite program, and saw the potential of space astronomy. In 1959 Roman joined NASA as Chief of Astronomy and Relativity, becaming the first female executive at NASA. She played a pivotal role in planning and advocating for space telescopes, and her work laid the foundation for the Hubble Space Telescope, earning her the nickname “Mother of the Hubble Space Telescope.” In May 2020, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced that the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, scheduled to be launched in 2027, would be named the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in recognition of her enduring contributions.
