Christine Darden
1942 –
Christine Darden
Mathematician
Aeronautical Engineer
Sonic Boom
Portrait of Dr. Christine Darden.
Early InfluencesDr. Christine Darden was born in North Carolina in 1942, the fifth child of Desma Cheney and Noah Horace Mann Senior. As a child, both Darden’s parents worked to support the family, and her mother began taking Darden to the two-room country schoolhouse at the age of three, where Desma taught grades 1 to 4. With no one her age to play with at the school, Darden stayed inside listening to the lessons and doing schoolwork. When she could officially enroll in the school, she entered at a grade 2 level just before her fifth birthday.
A focus on school and the value of education were important to both of Darden’s parents who were teachers at various points and encouraged all of their children to go to college. Darden’s oldest sister also became a teacher.
This environment matched well with Darden’s innate natural curiosity. As a child, she strongly desired to understand how things worked. Darden learned how to maintain her bicycle, and rather than playing with toys, she was more inclined to open them up to examine the talking mechanisms inside them. Her inquisitive nature was nurtured by her father, who demonstrated the inner workings of mechanical objects, such as the car's carburetor. He also permitted Darden to start learning to drive at the age of 12.
From dismantling toys to learning about car carburetors, young Christine Darden's curiosity about how things work was nurtured by her father. A childhood filled with exploration and mechanical adventures set the stage for her ground-breaking future in aerospace engineering.
Life-Long LearningBeing precocious and two years younger than her peers, Darden’s parents became increasingly worried about the influence of some of her older classmates and eventually sent her to Allen High School, a boarding school for Black girls. Here, Darden discovered her love of mathematics through exposure to high school geometry — a class that she would not have been able to take in her hometown school. Life at Allen was not easy for Darden, who found it very difficult to be away from her family; but she credits the school structure with developing her independence and discipline with her studies that would serve her well in the future.
Darden graduated from Allen High School in 1958 as valedictorian (the same year that NASA was formed) and was accepted to Hampton University, Virginia with a scholarship.
Although she was interested in mathematics, her father thought that the prospects for a Black woman in that field at the time were too slim and insisted that she earn her degree in teacher education to ensure she could get a job upon graduation. While she followed his advice, Darden also took every math course that she could, closely shadowing the math major. She graduated from Hampton in 1962, earning a Bachelor of Science as well as a teaching certificate.
At this time, Darden keenly felt the societal bias against women and the impact of that on her potential career path. While she graduated without a job in place, one of the men she had been tutoring in some of her math classes was able to land a prestigious position with IBM.
Ultimately, Darden took a position as a math teacher at Russel High School in Lawrenceville, Virginia, an all-Black, segregated school.
While teaching high school, Darden also started taking Friday night courses at Virginia State University, continuing to expand her knowledge of mathematics and getting to know some of the Professors in the math department. While teaching at Russell, she also met Walter Darden, whom she would marry a year later in 1963. When Walter enrolled in a Master's program at Virginia State, Christine left her teaching position and began looking for a similar job in Petersburg. During one of her night classes, Darden shared that she was looking for a job with the head of the math department. He suggested that she consider a research assistantship and connected her with a professor working on aerosol physics.
Darden began working on her Master’s degree, examining light scattering due to aerosol particles. She completed her Master of Science in 1967 and was immediately recruited to work at NASA’s Langley Research Centre.
Career at NASAIn 1967, computers as we know them were still in their infancy and were slow and expensive. Many of the mathematical calculations, or computations, needed for aeronautics were still done by hand by individuals often referred to as “computers,” a term that - at the time - was often applied to the individuals who did computations. At NASA and since the 1940s (at NASA’s predecessor organization) the pool of computers were women. While women were allocated to the computer pool, men with many of the same qualifications entered as engineers. The engineers relied heavily on women computers for much of their labour.
Like other women, Darden started at the computer pool at NASA. She was given a Friden mechanical calculator to assist her calculations and also worked to produce plots (figures) used in publications. By the time Darden arrived at NASA, the organizational structure had begun to change so that the human computers and engineers worked more closely together. When NASA began transitioning to using computer programs, Darden, who had gained some expertise with programming during her Master's, was soon assigned to help the engineers by creating computer programs to solve equations for them.
The Matilda EffectAfter the 1969 moon landing and the subsequent end of the Apollo program, NASA began to experience a period of workforce reduction. By 1973, Darden had now been in the computer pool for five years and had seen no promotion or advancement in her career. However, over that time, she had witnessed men who had joined NASA at a lower position than her, receive multiple promotions, and were now threatening to bump her out of her job during NASA’s downsizing. The need for computer programmers was also reduced as it became increasingly easier for engineers to write their own programs. Darden decided to take the matter into her own hands and went to see a supervisor two or three levels up in the administration. In Darden’s words,
The supervisor seemed surprised indicating that no one had complained about this previously. Nevertheless, Darden was immediately promoted to an engineering section and was given the task of creating a program to model the effects of a sonic boom.
Sonic Booms and Shock WavesThe sonic boom was — and still is — a significant problem for civil aviation. With the increasing demand for travel in the 1960’s, aircraft manufacturers sought to offer faster flights, reducing the overall flight duration. However, as the speed of an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, it pushes the air ahead of it, resulting in high-magnitude pressure on the leading surfaces of the aircraft. When the air in this high-pressure zone snaps back toward normal air pressure, it does so with incredible speed and force, like the popping of a balloon but on a much larger scale. Several of the initial test flights that occurred over populated areas resulted in shock waves with enough impact to shatter windows and break roof tiles. Everyone along the pathway of the flight for 1–2 kilometres on either side would experience the sonic boom. The startling effect of an unexpected sudden loud boom resulted in a surge of complaints from citizens and an eventual lawsuit in the United States that the government lost. As a result of this political pressure, laws were passed that prohibit supersonic travel over the continental United States, and spurred efforts to improve aircraft designs to reduce the magnitude of the shockwave.
Darden, a distinguished aerospace engineer at NASA, made significant contributions to sonic boom research by developing innovative techniques to minimize the noise produced by supersonic flight. Her work in computational fluid dynamics played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of the relationship between shock waves and sonic booms, leading to improvements in the design of faster, quieter supersonic aircraft.
At NASA, Darden’s computer model became foundational to future research. Using the equations and computer programs she created, Darden worked with her team to design wing bodies to that would minimize sonic boom. This began an iterative process of creating physical models, testing them in wind tunnels, observing what was working and what needed improvement, and ultimately scaling the models up to larger sizes with greater detail. As computers became more powerful, our understanding of fluid dynamics advanced, allowing Darden and her colleagues to achieve better precision in modelling airflow around an aircraft. Darden worked on the sonic boom problem for the next 30 years or so, with colleagues from both industry and universities, in the United States and internationally, approaching the problem from multiple perspectives.
Interest in sonic boom minimization picked up in 2016 with a collaboration between NASA and Lockheed Martin, aiming to produce a quiet supersonic plane by 2021. The result of the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration mission was the X-59 QueSST aircraft which was unveiled to the public on January 12th, 2024.
Continued Career at NASAWhile computer programming was a necessary part of the design process, Darden’s primary interest was still math. She continued to take courses, and around the time she started her engineering position at NASA, Darden began a graduate program at George Washington University and completed her Ph.D. in 1983. While working full-time at NASA and completing her Ph.D., Darden was also raising three children.
Darden was promoted to Sonic Boom Technical Lead in 1989 where she led her team in researching and examining ways to minimize the noise and atmospheric pollution of supersonic aircraft. Darden’s team advanced sonic boom prediction algorithms that impacted aircraft design for several years.
Ten years later, Darden was promoted to director of NASA’s Aero-Performing Center Management Office. At the time of her retirement in 2007, Darden was head of the Strategic Communications Office at the Langley Research Centre. Darden was the first Black woman at the Centre to be promoted to the Senior Executive Service, which is the top rank in the federal civil service.
Darden is a trailblazing aeronautical engineer, whose work on sonic booms paved the way for future innovations in aerospace. A legacy of breaking barriers and inspiring generations in STEM.
According to NASA (2022), Darden has authored more than 50 publications related to sonic boom minimization and supersonic aircraft design, and throughout her career was active in several science and mathematics organizations.
Associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Secretary of the Aeroacoustics Technical Committee of the AIAA
Beta Kappa Chi National Scientific Honor Society
Kappa Mu Epsilon Honorary Mathematics Society
The National Technical Association
Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Society
Darden has received a number of awards recognizing her distinguished career, including:
Black Engineer of the Year Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government
NASA Equal Opportunity Medal
Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Aerospace
NASA Exceptional Service Medal
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Pioneer Award
Congressional Gold Medal recognizing the “highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions”
International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA) Woman of Excellence Award
Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Post-ScriptIn an academic paper, Richard Seebass and Brian Argrow (1998) refer to the “... classical Jones-Seebass-George-Darden theory of sonic boom minimization…”, recognizing Darden’s development of earlier work on low-boom design theory. At the original time of publication of this article (February 16, 2024) the Wikipedia entry on sonic boom only mentioned the contributions of Richard Seebass and Albert George.
We have authored and illustrated this entry with care and respect, aiming to achieve the highest standards through diligent, balanced research. We also strive to maintain the highest standards of accuracy and fairness to ensure information is diligently researched and regularly updated. Please contact us should you have further perspectives or ideas to share on this article.
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Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners. (1988). US Black Engineer, 12(2), 34–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43688672
Congress Government. (2019, November 8). H.R.1396 - Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1396
D’Agostino, S. (2021, January 19). The NASA engineer who’s a mathematician at heart. Quanta Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-nasa-engineer-whos-a-mathematician-at-heart-20210119/.
Darden, C. (2013a). Christine Darden talks about her family's emphasis on the importance of education and her interests as a child. The HistoryMakers A2013.045, interviewed by Larry Crowe, February 26, 2013.The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 1. https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25764
Darden, C. (2013b). Christine Darden talks about attending Allen High School in Asheville, North Carolina, her interest in mathematics, and her math teacher, Ruth Walther. The HistoryMakers A2013.045, interviewed by Larry Crowe, February 26, 2013. The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 4. https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25767
Darden, C. (2013c). Christine Darden talks about graduating from Hampton University, and her first job. The HistoryMakers A2013.045, interviewed by Larry Crowe, February 26, 2013. The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 4, story 3. https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25772
Darden, C. (2013d). Christine Darden talks about starting studies for her master's degree in aerosol physics and taking math courses at Virginia State College. The HistoryMakers A2013.045, interviewed by Larry Crowe, February 26, 2013. The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 4, story 5. https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25774
Darden, C. (2013e). Christine Darden describes her early experience at NASA's Langley Research Center in the 1960s. The HistoryMakers A2013.045, interviewed by Larry Crowe, February 26, 2013. The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 5, story 2. https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25780
Darden, C. (2013f). Christine Darden talks about how she got her first promotion at NASA's Langley Research Center, and her early work on the sonic boom problem. The HistoryMakers A2013.045, interviewed by Larry Crowe, February 26, 2013. The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 5, story 3. https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25781
Evans, J. (2023, February 10). NASA Engineers Honored by National Academy of Engineering. https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/nasa-engineers-honored-by-national-academy-of-engineering/
International Aviation Womens Association. (2020, October 10). IAWA Honors Dr. Christine Darden With 2020 IAWA Woman Of Excellence Award. https://members.iawa.org/press_release_detail.php?orgcode=IAWA&pid=1995205&s=PR
Kessler, J. H. (1996). Distinguished African American scientists of the 20th Century. Oryx Press.
Lineberry, D. (2013, March 29). Standing on the shoulders of a computer. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/history/standing-on-the-shoulders-of-a-computer/
McNeill, B. (2017, April 8). Christine Darden, featured in “Hidden Figures,” talks sonic booms and her career at NASA. Virginia Commonwealth University. https://news.vcu.edu/article/christine_darden_featured_in_hidden_figures_talks_sonic_booms
NASA. (2022, Jully 11). Christine M. Darden. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/christine-m-darden/
NCWIT. (2021, May 20). Pioneer Award – Dr. Christine Darden. https://ncwit.org/video/2015-ncwit-pioneer-award-scrapbook-dr-christine-darden/
NSSC public search engine. (n.d.). Agency Awards Historical Recipient List. https://searchpub.nssc.nasa.gov/servlet/sm.web.Fetch/Agency_Awards_Historical_Recipient_List.pdf?rhid=1000&did=2120817&type=released
Seebass R. and Argrow B. (1998). Sonic boom minimization revisited. AIAA 1998-2956. 2nd AIAA, Theoretical Fluid Mechanics Meeting. June 1998.
Sonic Boom. (2022, May 12) In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonic_boom&oldid=1193070073
Women in Aerospace. (2024). Past WIA award recipients. https://www.womeninaerospace.org/events/awards/past.html
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Website Name: The Matilda Project
Title of Entry: Christine Darden
Author: Aron Fazekas
Illustrator: Kai Lynn Jiang
Editors: Sandy Marshall & Shehroze Saharan
Original Publication Date: February 16, 2024
Last Updated: March 31, 2024
Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND
Webpage Specific Tags: Christine Darden; Aerospace engineer; NASA mathematician; Sonic boom research; Computational fluid dynamics; "Hidden Figures" recognition; Langley Research Center; African-American women in STEM; Supersonic flight optimization; Minimizing sonic booms; STEM education advocate; Women in engineering; Equality in workplace; Darden's contributions to aeronautics; Advanced aircraft design; Manned spaceflight support; Numerical analysis techniques; Career development for women scientists; Diversity in aerospace; High-speed aerodynamics; Mentorship in engineering; Leading female scientists at NASA; Aeronautical innovations.
Website Tags: The Matilda Project, The Matilda Effect; Margaret W. Rossiter; Matilda Joslyn Gage; Implicit bias; Unconscious bias; Gender attribution bias; Scientific recognition bias; Gender discrimination in academia; Stereotype threat; Pay gap in STEM; Glass ceiling in science; Sexism in scientific research; Gender stereotypes in education; Gender bias in peer review; Bias in STEM hiring practices; Impact of gender bias on scientific innovation; Underrecognition of female scientists; History of women in science; Women scientists in history; Notable women in science; Pioneering women scientists; Women Nobel laureates; Female role models in science; Gender disparities in scientific research; Women's suffrage movement; Historical women's rights leaders; Historian of science; STEM gender gap; Women in STEM; STEM education; Challenges faced by women in STEM; Representation of women in tech; Initiatives to support women in STEM; Gender equity in STEM education; Encouraging girls in STEM; STEM outreach programs; Diversity in STEM curriculum; Equity, Diversity, Inclusion; Equity in education and workplace; Diversity training; Inclusion strategies; Inclusive leadership; Gender equality; Racial equity; Pay equity and transparency; Representation in media.
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APA Citation
Fazekas, A. (2024, March 31). Christine Darden. The Matilda Project. https://www.thematildaproject.com/scientists/christine-darden
Author
Dr. Aron Fazekas
Educational Developer - Office of Teaching and Learning at the University of Guelph
Dr. Aron Fazekas has had a varied career in academia. After receiving a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Alberta, he continued working on projects involving plant population genetics and gene flow and contributed to the early development of plant DNA barcoding and its applications to ecology. For several years, he was an instructor and course coordinator of large first-year biology classes. At present, he is an Educational Developer at the University of Guelph where he supports instructors and programs in the collection and analysis of data to improve teaching and learning. Fazekas works with departments on curriculum review and institutional quality assurance processes and develops approaches to visualize student achievement of competencies and learning outcomes, and. He also co-facilitates the Inquire program, which guides faculty and staff through the design and implementation of projects in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Illustrator
