James Francis Globe: Family, Career and Death

Who is James Francis Globe?

James Francis Globe was the husband of Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, a revered mathematician. 

Over the course of history, the planet has had many geniuses.

And when they are gone, the efforts they make in their area of knowledge leave the planet a happier place.

Human intelligence has always pushed its limits as the need has arisen in history.

Before any feminist revolution, she tore down walls of age, color, and gender through her meticulous and supreme achievement in manual calculations and impeccable precision.

Not everybody in the world gets recognition for their efforts.

Some of them are identified after their deaths, while others remain unidentified and anonymous for the rest of their lives.

So it is for true protagonists, let alone the supporting players that assist them.

Families of celebrities don’t seem to be appreciated for their efforts.

For those people to become well-known, they need a major rumor or other shocking news. One of these well-known names is James Francis Goble.

Childhood and Education

On a beautiful Saturday in March 1913, James was born as the son of Charles Jackson Goble, Sr. and Anna Thomas-Goble (Smith).

In Marion, Smyth County, Virginia, he first opened his eyes.

He came from a modest middle-class neighborhood. 

James Franics Globe had four siblings, the whereabouts of three of which are unknown.

Three of them are assumed to be brothers, while the fourth is Helen Goble McClanahan, his sister.

He was born and raised in an African-American household, and he had to deal with the social bigotry that existed in American society at the time.

He did, however, complete his education and begin working as a teacher.

Quick Facts about James Francis Globe

Full NameJames Francis Goble
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityAfrican black
ReligionChristian
Zodiac signAries
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorGrayish black
NicknameJames
Fashion style90’s formals for high school teachers—coat, pant, an overcoat, and a shirt

Read about: Arthur Gunn

Personal traits

James Francis Globe’s disposition was that of a king since he was born under the sign of Aries.

He was helpful, loyal, modest, dependable, and artistic. His plain dressing style reflected his modest disposition and preference for inner elegance over outward appearance.

Since he was a teacher himself, it often determines his affection and admiration for academia and academicians.

He also married and had a long and happy friendship with a mathematician until his death.

He was a respected man with an optimistic demeanor, whose endeavors undoubtedly aided African-American family members in achieving higher academic accomplishments and even exposure to space.

Love of his life: Katherine 

Katherine Johnson receving her Presidential Medal of Freedom 2015
Katherine Johnson receving her Presidential Medal of Freedom 2015

His wife Katherine is the one love of his life that the media is aware of.

The 26-year-old was born August 26, 1918, to a working-class family.

Her father was a fisherman, and her mother worked as a teacher in a local elementary school.

Katherine and James were both born and raised in West Virginia. Her ancestors came from West Virginia’s White Sulfur Springs.

James Francis Globe admired his partner’s loyalty and hard work. She was a bright mind who honed her abilities in the face of racial prejudice.

Katherine graduated from West Virginia State College in 1937 with a double degree in mathematics and French. She married James two years after she graduated.

In 1953, James moved to Newport News for job opportunities.

His beautiful daughters – Constance, Katherine, and Joylette – were born during the 17 years he shared with Katherine.

He was thrilled with the birth of his first child in 1940, forcing his wife to give up her studies and spend a decade raising their family.

In order to support her family, she worked multiple teaching jobs.

As the head of the family, James made huge strides to grow his daughters into rigorously educated people.

It was all worthwhile because all of his children and his wife had successful careers.

It’s not easy being the husband of a pioneering artist. James did everything he could to help his wife become a strong pioneering genius female mind in America.

During James’ later years, life was difficult for all of them, particularly Katherine.

On the other hand, James had to sustain a wife who began her science career at the age of Jim Crow.

Although Americans gained freedom one hundred years ago, black males still faced marginalization in society.

He recognized his wife’s daily pain and offered her encouragement.

James was her first partner, and he died while still married. After James’ death, Katherine remarried James A. Johnson three years later.

Her second husband was a Korean War veteran and a US Army officer. They had six grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren together.

James Francis Goble: Career

James worked as a chemistry instructor.

He lived in Marion and married his preference of a well-educated and beautiful university graduate woman.

Life was going well for James until the mid-nineteenth century when he fell.

When James was in their hometown, he became ill. His disease became a long fight against an inoperable brain tumor (cancer). It was both expensive and exhausting.

His wife had to get a job because he was unable to continue working.

James and his wife have worked many jobs, including teaching, to raise their son.

Katherine had to wait before she could enroll in a graduate degree and get a career at NASA because she was a rare intellect inside a black woman during a time of segregation.

It was a time when the death of a 35-year-old African American woman was more natural news than her jurisdiction.

When the family’s patriarch was sick, the family couldn’t make ends meet, and female workers were not paying their male counterparts.

James and his brother have the patience to deal with all of the challenges and face them head-on. 

In those difficult times, James got strong encouragement from his in-laws in re-establishing his wife’s career.

After the diagnosis, his family’s relocation to Newport, which included her acceptance into NASA, was a game-changer.

One of the big highlights of Apollo 11 was her flawless measurements, which made other planets like Mercury and Earth’s orbit in space visible to earthlings.

However, it was not just plain sailing. Every day, she had to be motivated to go to work.

James could not physically help her, but he was a rope and a spiritual supporter who kept the family together as everyone worked to further their careers.

James influenced Katherine’s humble demeanor. As she demonstrated her diligence through a slew of calculations, she felt precisely on par with her male colleagues at NASA.

She shied away from attention, focusing only on getting the job done.

James was ecstatic to read of her accomplishments in the headlines.

James Francis Goble: Fame

James is a well-known public personality.

His wife Katherine was an American physicist and mathematician who worked for NASA on an aeronautics space program and was responsible for pioneering experiments on orbital mechanics calculations.

Katherine’s contribution was crucial to the progress of NASA’s attempt at crewed space flights, as well as almost any subsequent NASA discovery. 

She was dubbed an “American Academic Hero,” and she was essentially a “Computer” who built a legacy in mathematics.

In 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Katherine left NASA in 1986 after 33 years of service in the flight testing branch. If it hadn’t been for the recent success of a film, she would have gone unnoticed. 

In February 2016, she received recognition with the release of the film “Hidden Figures.”

Several of Katherine’s late colleagues were presented in this film, and their contributions helped make America a great nation in both science and growth. 

Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nominations were received for the movie.

Katherine was the only one in her cohort who was still alive when the cast took the stage at the Academy Awards ceremony.

She lived long enough to see the film’s release and even made a joke about her performance. She admitted, “I wasn’t that offensive.”

In February, she got a standing ovation, several camera flashes, and extensive media attention. 

It piqued the media’s interest in the characters from her life depicted in the film. 

James Francis Globe’ involvement in this story made a lot of sense.

She had been the most well-known of her previously unknown cohort at that time.

In 2017, the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility created a stir as well. 

In addition, three years ago, she published her autobiography, “Reaching for the Stars,” which she wrote herself.

Throughout both of these revelations, her first husband, James, was mentioned many times. 

Consequently, one would expect James to be in the spotlight sixty-four years after his assassination.

James Francis Goble: Charity

The family has frequently attended Carver Presbyterian Church, where they have volunteered to sing choirs for more than fifty years since James was alive.

James and Katherine worked together to raise their family in the Christian faith.

It was a tough time when being a woman and being a person of color was racist. 

Black women faced double segregation in the living room and the kitchen and office, as they were separated from white men.

Since her undergraduate days, James’ wife has contributed as an Alpha Kappa sorority club member.

African American women founded this sorority for the welfare and upliftment of other African American women in various areas such as universities and athletics.

James Francis Goble: Social Media

When James passed away, computers were still in their infancy.

He couldn’t even get so many photos taken of him. 

However, after his wife died in February, he has been very famous on social media.

Katherine passed away after gaining fame as a result of a film based on her story.

Significant figures such as NASA Administrator James Bridenstine have responded to statements. 

As a result, James Francis Globe has been a celebrity hot topic on social media these days.

James Francis Goble: Deathbed

In 1953, his wife worked for NASA.

James passed away three years after she was employed. Katherine was in a tough situation. 

Her husband was facing a terminal illness, and she was torn between a severe career and caring for him and his family.

James was battling cancer and had a difficult time breathing his last breath. His family’s unwavering love was the only ray of light he had in his final days. 

On December 20, 1956, at the age of 43, he breathed his last breath.

His body is interred in Hampton, Hampton City County, Virginia 23661.

James Francis Globe's graveyard
James Francis Globe’s graveyard

The same Pleasant Shade Cemetery holds the grave of his wife. His family was there with him when he passed away, and they took good care of him.

James Francis Globe was a family man throughout his life. 

His family remembered him as a caring partner, a productive spirit, a devoted husband, and a cherished father. Despite his illness, he died a content man.

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