Barbie FJH63 Collector Doll 3+barbie Katherine Johnson Doll. While growing up in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Katherine Johnson (her name was Coleman as a child) displayed an intense curiosity and an extraordinary knack with numberswhen she was just eighteen. In 1953, she joined a pool of women hired by NASA to work as human computers. Katherine calculated the trajectory of NASA's first American-manned flight into space. Her flawless calculations helped the Apollo astronauts land and return safely from their voyage to the moon The Barbie Inspiring Women Katherine Johnson doll celebrates the achievements of a pioneer who broke through barriers of race and gender. Like the trajectories she calculated, Katherine's contributions inspire young people to excel in math and science, and to reach for the stars. Breaking Barriers The Barbie Inspiring Women Katherine Johnson doll celebrates the achievements of a pioneer who broke through barriers of race and gender. While growing up in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Katherine Johnson (her name was Coleman as a child) displayed an intense curiosity and an extraordinary brilliance with words and numbers alike. A child prodigy, Katherine entered high school at 10 years old and graduated from college when she was just eighteen with two Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and French. Joining NASA In the mid-1950s, she joined a pool of women hired by NASA to work as human computers. Katherine calculated the trajectory of NASA’s first American-manned flight into space. Her flawless calculations helped the Apollo astronauts land and return from their voyage to the moon. Her figures were so consistently accurate, that when NASA switched to computers, they had her double-check the accuracy of the results. Reaching for the Stars Like the trajectories she calculated, Katherine Johnson’s contributions inspire young people to excel in math and science, and to reach for the stars. What's in the box? Includes doll, doll stand and Certificate of Authenticity.