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Hey, history lovers.

I'm Mike Rosenwald with Retropod, a show about the past, rediscovered.

When Nancy Grace Roman died last month at age 93, she was remembered as one of the great astronomers

of her generation, or of any generation. Of course, before she could accomplish anything,

she had to overcome a world in which women were supposed to look up at the stars for enjoyment, not science.

In high school, when she wanted to take not one but two algebra courses, a teacher demanded to know what lady would take mathematics instead of Latin.

In college, a professor tried to dissuade women from majoring in physics.

Even after receiving a doctorate in astronomy,

Roman thought that a female professor in the field had little hope of obtaining tenure. So she applied for a job at NASA,

and she got it. Have you ever heard of the Hubble telescope? Well, she helped launch that thing.

Roman was born in Nashville, but grew up in Baltimore.

Her father was a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Her mother was a former music teacher and a nature enthusiast who often took her daughter

outside at night to view the stars.

Roman was constantly outside looking up.

She founded an astronomy club at age 11.

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