Unheralded Heroes

by PPH resident Velma N'Jai

Shirley Ann Jackson:  Shirley Ann Jackson, noted physicist and former head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), was one of the first two black women to receive a doctorate in physics in the U.S. and the first to receive a doctorate from the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT).

Marie van Brittan Brown: In 1966, along with the assistance of her husband, Marie invented a security system which consisted of four peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors, and two-way microphones. Her invention was the first closedcircuit television security system, and paved the way for modern home security systems used today.

Marian Croak: Engineer Marian Croak has worked on advancing Voice - over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies, converting voice data into digital signals, that can be easily transmitted over the internet rather than using traditional phone lines. Her work has furthered the capabilities of audio and video conferencing, making it a practical reality in today's world.