Dr Gladys West was a pioneering mathematician whose work laid the foundation for modern GPS
Dr Gladys West, the pioneering mathematician whose work laid the foundation for modern Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, has died at the age of 95.
West passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026, surrounded by family, according to a tribute shared by Jane Plitt, founder and board chair of the National Center for Women’s Innovations (NCWI).
According to thezebra.org report on January 19, 2026, she was born into poverty on a Virginia farm during the Jim Crow era. West rose from the segregated South to become one of the most influential yet long-unrecognized figures in modern navigation technology.
Through exceptional academic achievement, she graduated first in her high school class and earned a scholarship to Virginia State College, now Virginia State University. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1952 and a master’s degree in 1955.
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In 1956, West began work as a mathematician at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. At the time, she was only the second African American woman hired at the facility and one of just four African American employees overall.
During her decades-long career at Dahlgren, West focused on one of science’s most complex problems: accurately modeling the shape of the Earth.
Her mathematical calculations and computer programming transformed raw satellite data into precise geodetic models, work that became essential to satellite navigation systems.
Those calculations ultimately formed the backbone of GPS technology, now critical to aviation, shipping, emergency response, telecommunications, smartphones, and everyday life across the globe.
Despite the global impact of her work, West remained largely unknown for many years.
Colleagues have often noted that the extraordinary accuracy of GPS rests on years of painstaking mathematical labor carried out behind the scenes by scientists like West, who pursued their work without expectation of public recognition.
In recent years, efforts to bring her contributions to light were led by Jane Plitt and the Alexandria-based NCWI.
West’s story became the focus of the organisation’s inaugural initiative, culminating in a gala celebrating her 93rd birthday on October 27, 2023.
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The event, emceed by journalist Deborah Roberts, honoured West’s legacy, with West declaring the occasion “the best day of my life.”
On March 7, 2024, Plitt unveiled an interactive exhibit dedicated to West’s work at the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard.
The exhibit later toured several states, introducing thousands to the story of what many have described as another ‘hidden figure’ in American science.
Announcing her death, Plitt described West as ‘petite in stature but gigantic in impact.’
Beyond her scientific achievements, West was devoted to her family. She is reunited in death with her husband, Ira West, and leaves behind a lasting legacy of intellect, perseverance, and inspiration.
Dr Gladys West’s life remains a powerful testament to how quiet determination and brilliance can reshape the world and why her story must continue to be told.
MRA/EB
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