Gladys Mae Brown was born in Sutherland, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, a rural county south of Richmond. Her … See more

In 1956, West was hired to work at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia (now the Naval Surface Warfare Center). Here, she was the second black woman ever hired and one of only four black employees… See more

West's vital contributions to GPS technology were recognized when a member of her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha read a short biography West had submitted for an alumni function.
West was i… See more

West met her husband Ira at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, where he also worked as a mathematician. They were two of only four black employees at the time. They were married in 1957. They have … See more

• West, Gladys B. (1979). "Smoothing of Geos 3 satellite radar altimeter data". Journal of Geophysical Research. 84 (B8). American Geophysical Union (AGU): 4055. Bibcode:1979JGR....84.4055W. doi:10.1029/jb0… See more