H. R. 1396—2 
(D) provided calculations for NASA throughout her 
career, including for the Apollo missions. 
(6) Katherine Johnson retired from NASA in 1986. 
(7) Dr. Christine Darden was born on September 10, 1942, 
in Monroe, North Carolina. 
(8) In 1962, Dr. Christine Darden graduated from Hampton 
Institute with a B.S. in Mathematics and a teaching credential. 
(9) Dr. Christine Darden attended Virginia State University 
where she studied aerosol physics and earned an M.S. in 
Applied Mathematics. 
(10) Dr. Christine Darden began her career in aeronautics 
in 1967 as a data analyst at NASA’s Langley Research Center 
(referred to in this section as ‘‘Langley’’) before being promoted 
to aerospace engineer in 1973. Her work in this position 
resulted in the production of low-boom sonic effects, which 
revolutionized aerodynamics design. 
(11) Dr. Christine Darden completed her education by 
earning a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from George Wash-
ington University in 1983. 
(12) While working at NASA, Dr. Christine Darden— 
(A) was appointed to be the leader of the Sonic Boom 
Team, which worked on designs to minimize the effects 
of sonic booms by testing wing and nose designs for super-
sonic aircraft; 
(B) wrote more than 50 articles on aeronautics design; 
and 
(C) became the first African American to be promoted 
to a position in the Senior Executive Service at Langley. 
(13) Dorothy Vaughan was born on September 20, 1910, 
in Kansas City, Missouri. 
(14) Dorothy Vaughan began working for NACA in 1943. 
Dorothy Vaughan— 
(A) started at NACA as a member of the West Area 
Computing unit; 
(B) was promoted to be the head of the West Area 
Computing unit, becoming NACA’s first African-American 
supervisor, a position that she held for 9 years; and 
(C) became an expert programmer in FORTRAN as 
a member of NASA’s Analysis and Computation Division. 
(15) Dorothy Vaughan retired from NASA in 1971 and 
died on November 10, 2008. 
(16) Mary Jackson was born on April 9, 1921, in Hampton, 
Virginia. 
(17) Mary Jackson started her career at NACA in 1951, 
working as a computer as a member of the West Area Com-
puting unit. 
(18) After petitioning the City of Hampton to allow her 
to take graduate-level courses in math and physics at night 
at the all-White Hampton High School, Mary Jackson was 
able to complete the required training to become an engineer, 
making her NASA’s first female African-American engineer. 
(19) Mary Jackson— 
(A) while at NACA and NASA— 
(i) worked in the Theoretical Aerodynamics Branch 
of the Subsonic-Transonic Aerodynamics Division at 
Langley where she analyzed wind tunnel and aircraft 
flight data; and
H. R. 1396—3 
(ii) published a dozen technical papers that focused 
on the boundary layer of air around airplanes; and 
(B) after 21 years working as an engineer at NASA, 
transitioned to a new job as Langley’s Federal Women’s 
Program Manager where she worked to improve the pros-
pects of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers, and 
scientists. 
(20) Mary Jackson retired from NASA in 1985 and died 
in 2005. 
(21) These four women, along with the other African-Amer-
ican women in NASA’s West Area Computing unit, were 
integral to the success of the early space program. The stories 
of these four women exemplify the experiences of hundreds 
of women who worked as computers, mathematicians, and engi-
neers at NACA beginning in the 1930s and their handmade 
calculations played an integral role in— 
(A) aircraft testing during World War II; 
(B) supersonic flight research; 
(C) sending the Voyager probes to explore the solar 
system; and 
(D) the United States landing the first man on the 
lunar surface. 
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS. 
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the House 
of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
behalf of Congress, of five gold medals of appropriate design as 
follows: 
(1) One gold medal to Katherine Johnson in recognition 
of her service to the United States as a mathematician. 
(2) One gold medal to Dr. Christine Darden for her service 
to the United States as an aeronautical engineer. 
(3) In recognition of their service to the United States 
during the Space Race— 
(A) one gold medal commemorating the life of Dorothy 
Vaughan; and 
(B) one gold medal commemorating the life of Mary 
Jackson. 
(4) One gold medal in recognition of all women who served 
as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at the National 
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration between the 1930s and the 
1970s (referred to in this section as ‘‘recognized women’’). 
(b) DESIGN
AND STRIKING.—For the purpose of the awards 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to 
in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike each gold medal described 
in that subsection with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, 
to be determined by the Secretary. 
(c) TRANSFER OF CERTAIN MEDALS AFTER PRESENTATION.— 
(1) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—After the award of the gold medal 
commemorating the life of Dorothy Vaughan under sub-
section (a)(3)(A) and the award of the gold medal in recogni-
tion of recognized women under subsection (a)(4), those 
medals shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution where 
the medals shall be—
H. R. 1396—4 
(i) available for display, as appropriate; and 
(ii) made available for research. 
(B) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold 
medals received under subparagraph (A) available for— 
(i) display, particularly at the National Museum 
of African American History and Culture; or 
(ii) loan, as appropriate, so that the medals may 
be displayed elsewhere. 
(2) TRANSFER
TO
FAMILY.—After the award of the gold 
medal in honor of Mary Jackson under subsection (a)(3)(B), 
the medal shall be given to her granddaughter, Wanda Jackson. 
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
Under regulations that the Secretary may promulgate, the Sec-
retary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals 
struck under this Act, at a price sufficient to cover the cost of 
the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses. 
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 
(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck under this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United 
States Code. 
(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 5134 and 
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under 
this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is authorized 
to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs 
of the medals struck under this Act. 
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the sale of 
duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be depos-
ited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. 
SEC. 7. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined 
by reference to the latest statement titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of 
PAYGO Legislation’’ for this Act, submitted for printing in the
H. R. 1396—5 
Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Com-
mittee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior 
to the vote on passage. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.