On May 1, 1924, Evelyn Boyd Granville was born in Washington, D.C. She would go on to become one of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Raised during segregation, Granville attended the prestigious Dunbar High School, where two dedicated teachers nurtured her interest in math. She later graduated summa cum laude from Smith College and earned her doctorate from Yale University in 1949, studying under renowned mathematician Einar Hille.

Granville’s career spanned education, government, and aerospace. She worked on critical NASA space programs, including Project Vanguard and Project Mercury, helping calculate complex rocket trajectories. Beyond her technical achievements, Granville was a fierce advocate for math education and spent decades mentoring young women and Black students in STEM.