<P> Johnson has been portrayed in the media . In a 2016 episode of the NBC series Timeless, titled "Space Race", the mathematician is portrayed by Nadine Ellis . The highly acclaimed December 2016 film Hidden Figures, based on the non-fiction book of the same title by Margot Lee Shetterly, follows Johnson and other female African - American mathematicians (Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan) who worked at NASA . Taraji P. Henson plays Johnson in the film . Johnson appeared alongside Henson at the 89th Academy Awards . In an earlier interview, Johnson offered the following comment about the movie: "It was well - done . The three leading ladies did an excellent job portraying us ." </P> <P> In 2017, a fan - designed Lego set honoring influential women throughout NASA's history was produced . Originally Johnson was planned to be represented alongside Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Margaret Hamilton, and Nancy Grace Roman . However, Lego was unable to obtain the rights to use her likeness and consequently she was removed from the design . </P> <P> West Virginia State University announced plans for an endowed STEM scholarship in honor of Johnson and a life - size statue of her on campus . On May 12, 2018 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the College of William and Mary . </P> <Ul> <Li> Group Achievement Award presented to NASA's Lunar Spacecraft and Operations team--for pioneering work in the field of navigation supporting the spacecraft that orbited and mapped the moon in preparation for the Apollo program </Li> <Li> 1971, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986: NASA Langley Research Center Special Achievement award </Li> <Li> 1998, Honorary Doctor of Laws, from SUNY Farmingdale </Li> <Li> 1999, West Virginia State College Outstanding Alumnus of the Year </Li> <Li> 2006, Honorary Doctor of Science by the Capitol College, Laurel, Maryland </Li> <Li> 2010, Honorary Doctorate of Science from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia </Li> <Li> 2014, De Pizan Honor from National Women's History Museum . </Li> <Li> 2015, NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award </Li> <Li> 2015, Presidential Medal of Freedom </Li> <Li> 2016, Silver Snoopy award from Leland Melvin </Li> <Li> 2016, Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Arthur B.C. Walker II Award </Li> <Li> 2016, Presidential Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia </Li> <Li> 2017, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Medal of Honor </Li> <Li> 2017, Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility in Hampton, Virginia, opened on September 22, 2017, and so dedicated to Johnson . </Li> <Li> May 12, 2018, Honorary Doctorate of Science from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia . </Li> </Ul>

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