Mary Jackson started her career as a research mathematician, or computer, for the NACA, a precursor of sorts to NASA. She worked at the Langley Research Center, NASA’s oldest field center, under Dorothy Vaughan. In 1953, Jackson began taking graduate-level classes in mathematics and physics to qualify for an engineering job. In 1958, after she completed the courses, Jackson was accepted as an aerospace engineer, becoming the first black female engineer to work at NASA. As an engineer, she experimented with United States aircraft to improve their performance. She also worked to highlight other women and minorities who excelled in her field until her retirement from NASA in 1985.
Jackson died on February 11, 2005, at the age of 83.
In 2016, she was portrayed by Janelle Monáe in the film Hidden Figures.