Scope and Content Note
The papers of Gladys B. West (1930- ) and Ira V. West (1931- ) span the years 1944-2023, with the bulk of the material dating from 1955 to 1999. The collection documents the Wests' personal life and careers as mathematicians at the Dahlgren Naval Proving Ground (now Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division). Amidst the start of the satellite era during the Cold War and mid-twentieth-century sociopolitical changes, Gladys and Ira began their careers as two of the first four African American employees at the Naval Proving Ground. Gladys is most noted for her work developing satellite geodesy models, later incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS). Ira is known for his contributions to the development of computer models for problems arising from exterior ballistics, missile dynamics, hazards of electromagnetic radiation on ordnance, and anti-submarine warfare.
The bulk of the collection pertains to Gladys B. West and chronicles the trajectory of her career beginning with a 1955 letter from the Dahlgren Naval Proving Ground informing Gladys of her appointment as a mathematician in the Computation and Ballistics Department. The collection further reveals her advancement in positions of increasing scope and responsibilities. She played a vital role in software development to solve scientific problems. She planned, implemented, documented, and supervised the development of complex computer programs that calculated gravity coefficients and vertical deflection as a function of the coordinates on the geoid and height above the geoid. The products of these efforts included satellite orbital elements with improved gravity coefficients and associated bias parameters. Other products from these system development efforts involved the production of geodetic gravity products using the satellites Geodynamics Experimental Ocean Satellite 3 (GEOS-3), Seasat, and Geosat as data sources. Further, Gladys provided management support in the software development for the Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System II and the associated Ground Support System. Additionally, she led significant process improvement efforts at the branch level. Thoughout her career, Gladys was recognized for her contributions to varied digital systems and her professional and technical abilities, as reflected in awards, letters of appreciation and commendation, and other work-related personnel records.
Of significance in this collection are the calculations, flowcharts, instructions for copying and processing data, memoranda for modifications and adjustments to altimeter data, notes, and other material showcasing Gladys's work analyzing data received from the Seasat satellite over certain areas of water. Gladys and colleagues calculated the precise shape of the Earth for specific areas while accounting for tides and other forces. This work contributed to geoid, precise orbits, and ellipsoid, all key elements in using satellites to determine a position on Earth, which ultimately helped develop GPS. Articles and papers by Gladys cover topics such as civil rights, GEOS-3, geoid height, Geosat, ocean geodesy, radar altimeter, Seasat, and vertical deflections. Writings about Gladys include articles about her life and career with a focus on her status as a "hidden figure." Also included are Gladys's interviews, journal, and notes for her Ph.D. dissertation on corporate downsizing and a joint speech for Gladys and Ira's fortieth wedding anniversary celebration.
Scans of most of the papers are reflected in the container list as digitized content. Additional digital files not duplicative in the physical papers complement and supplement the rest of the collection. Material only available as digital files includes a map, photographs of the Wests and their family, and a 1967 announcement about Ira's promotion to head the Ballistic Sciences Branch of the Programming Division, Computation and Analysis Laboratory.