Katherine Johnson and James A. Johnson: Rare Photos, Family Archives, and Historical Records
By Sarah Jenkins
Q1: Did Katherine Johnson have children with her second husband, James A. Johnson?
A1: No. Katherine had three daughters, Joylette, Constance, and Katherine Jr., with her first husband, James Francis Goble. James A. Johnson raised all three girls as his own after marrying Katherine in 1959.
Q2: Why was Katherine Johnson credited as Katherine Goble on early NASA research reports?
A2: Katherine joined NACA in 1953 while married to James Francis Goble. Her seminal co-authored technical report in 1960, which established orbital trajectory equations, originally bore the name Katherine G. Goble because research publication conventions used her existing legal name during project kickoff.
Q3: When did Katherine Johnson’s husbands pass away?
A3: James Francis Goble died on December 20, 1956, at age 43 from an inoperable brain tumor. James A. Johnson passed away on March 23, 2019, at age 93. Katherine died eleven months later on February 24, 2020, at age 101.
Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.
