Nancy Grace Roman

Nancy Grace Roman, Ph.D., affectionately known as the "mother" of the Hubble, passed away in Germantown, Maryland on December 25, 2018 after a long illness. She was 93 years old. A graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Chicago, Dr. Roman was the first Chief of Astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA headquarters and the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA. At a time when few women worked in the physical sciences, she was a pioneer who has served as a role model for many girls wanting to pursue scientific careers. Dr. Roman is survived by her cousins, Barbara (David) Brinker, Laura Bates (Joseph) Verreau, and John Gerlach, as well as her honorary "sisters", Maribel Jahanbakhsh-Tehran and Joan Jackson Stanley. Nancy Grace will be greatly missed. A memorial service will he held on Tuesday, January 15 at 2 pm at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road, Bethesda, MD 20817. Memorial contributions can be made in her name to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Maryland Branch.