Jemison, Mae (1956–)

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Jemison, Mae (1956–)

African-American astronaut. Born Mae Carol Jemison, Oct 17, 1956, at Decatur, Alabama; dau. of Charlie Jemison (contractor) and Dorothy Jemison (teacher); Stanford University, BS and BA, 1977, Cornell University, MD, 1981; div.

The 1st African-American woman to fly in space, served as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia (1983–85); selected by NASA (1987); flew aboard the shuttle Endeavor on 1st cooperative mission with Japan, focusing on scientific experiments (1992); left NASA to teach a class on space-age technology and developing countries at Dartmouth College; established the Jemison Group in Houston to improve health care in West Africa.

See also Women in World History.