Contents
Basic Information
James Francis Goble was born on March 29, 1913, in Marion, Virginia, into a family with deep roots in the African American heritage of the United States. He was born to Charles Jackson Goble and Anna Thomas (Smith) Goble. Growing up during a time when options were minimal for Black Americans, Goble faced many of the challenges of his era, but his legacy would be wrapped with one of the most noted contributions to aeronautics research for the U.S. through his wife, Katherine Johnson.
On June 7, 1940, James married the former Creola Katherine Coleman, who would become the famous NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. This union produced a daughter, Constance-Goble Garcia. The Gobles struggled through the racism of the time and economic hardships but fought on.
Family Life and Moving for Better Opportunities
James Francis Goble was a shipyard laborer; the work was very hard and physically demanding. The responsibilities of a laborer required strength and stamina, contributing to the well-being of the family while Katherine, initially a teacher of mathematics, focused on her passion for mathematics. In 1952, everything in the Gobles’ life started to change: James became ill due to an inoperable brain tumor that had developed an extensive and painful struggle with cancer.
At this time, the family of Goble was not going too well and Katherine had to leave her studies mid-stream to ameliorate the family finances. It was during this most unenviable of periods that her sister and brother-in-law who were visiting Newport News in Virginia informed Katherine that an aeronautics research facility near her was looking for workers with mathematical aptitude. It is ultimately this recommendation that opened the door to her remarkable career at NACA, now NASA.
With new hope for her career, Katherine and James relocated the family to Newport News in pursuit of a brighter future. The couple was in for a life-changing experience, as this relocation welcomed Katherine into the heart of history-making processes as a mathematician. Her successes would also see her family through the incapacitation of James but would prove to play a mainstay role in advancing aeronautics.
Wife: Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was a trailblazing American mathematician who made invaluable contributions to NASA’s space programs. Dominated by males in major space programs, she did much of the core work in those space programs when very few females, especially Black women, were into science-related fields. Born in 1918, Katherine showed great mathematical ability from the earliest stage of her life, studying mathematics and French at West Virginia State College. Her marriage to James Francis Goble brought her support, but she also suffered setbacks when he was diagnosed with serious cancer in 1952. Not hindered by the tragedy within her personal life, Katherine continued her profession and, with the encouragement of her family sought further opportunities with NACA, later to be named NASA. Her calculations at NASA were priceless, and she had been responsible for the successful completion of several historic missions, including orbital flight by John Glenn and the moon landing by Apollo 11. Her precision and brilliance earned her immense respect in a field dominated by men to which she broke barriers of race and gender. It wasn’t until much later in life that Katherine’s work finally received widespread attention with the book and film *Hidden Figures*, which memorialized her as one who helped shape space exploration. Through her hard work and talent, Katherine Johnson transformed her life into an inspiration for many in the fields of STEM and beyond. This left behind a legacy for generations that will be told for a lifetime.
Tragic Illness and Legacy
James Francis Goble struggled with cancer, and this was in the way of the hopes and dreams of the family. Katherine faced family struggles for support and continued to pursue her mathematical career, making substantial contributions in the field. He died on December 20, 1956, aged 43 years old and left behind a legacy of family strength, and one that would go down in history.
While James’s contributions may not have fallen within the scientific arena, his support to Katherine and strength in the face of sickness were the greatest building blocks for her success. Katherine’s groundbreaking triumphs at NASA-working out trajectory calculations for some of the most significant space missions-came about because of sacrifices made together with James and their family.
Net Worth and Economic Challenges
The financial troubles of the Goble family during James’s sickness brought into light the typical economic plight among many Black American families in the mid-20th century. James’s work as a laborer provided just enough financial resources, and his illness had put them at a disadvantage. Katherine’s entry into mathematics not only brought along economic security to sustain James through his illness but also became a turning point in her career. Although James Francis Goble himself never amassed extreme personal wealth, his legacy came to be enmeshed with that of Katherine and her historic contributions to science, affording the family a lift in society impacting generations both in and out of the realm of science.
Heritage and Historical Significance
James Francis Goble traced his ancestry through his great-grandmother, Sallie Adams, back to a line originating in the Black heritage of the United States. The story of the Goble family reflects that of many African American families who had to work their way through systemic hurdles, yet brought great value to society through resilience and commitment to family. His life is in testament to the strength so many families derived during times of deep-seated social and economic strife.
This factor further cinched the Goble family legacy when Katherine Johnson’s work at NASA received a second wind of publicity, giving historical recognition not only to her work but also to her family-especially James-for support and sacrifice. James supported Katherine on her path of being a Black female pioneer in the field of science to a large degree with his hard work and encouragement.
Conclusion
James Francis Goble might have never become famous during his lifetime, but his life and legacy hold significance for the many roles he played: supportive husband, father, and member of the African American community. His bravery in the battle with illness, his support of Katherine’s career ambitions set into motion a legacy that would change the face of space exploration, showing a different look at the representation of Black Americans in the fields of science and mathematics.
It speaks volumes about family, sacrifice, and the strength that has defined James’s life and Katherine’s later successes. He may have died early, yet the impression of his life was still alive, through Katherine’s contributions and through historical recognition each one received thereafter. Through his family’s story, James Francis Goble’s legacy lives on, an inspiration and reminder of just how crucial support, resilience, and shared dreams are to helping one through the trials of life.
