Women’s History Month: Honoring 98-year-old space shuttle trailblazer

LA woman recounts time spent building NASA space shuttles

For Women's History Month, FOX 11's Chelsea Edwards introduces us to 98-year-old Ethel Lee, who helped physically build the first six space shuttles contracted for NASA.

LOS ANGELES - Days after celebrating her 98th birthday, Ethel Lee sat down with FOX 11 to reflect on her groundbreaking journey as the first African American woman to help physically build the first six space shuttles used by NASA.

Lee's remarkable decades-long career with the orbiters' manufacturer, Rockwell International, was an unlikely path. Lee was born in Hooks, Texas in 1926. She recalls leaving school to pick potatoes as a girl; a task she greatly disliked and one that fueled her drive to pursue her education. At 16-years-old, she graduated at the top of her high school class.

She got married, started a family, and eventually moved to Southern California to open a restaurant. But her life took a pivotal turn when she heard President John F. Kennedy’s announcement that America was going to space.

"She said: ‘I want to go there - I want to go work there!" said her granddaughter Daphne Bradford.

Inspired by Kennedy's vision, Lee, with no prior engineering background, applied for a position at Rockwell International in Southern California. Three days later, she accepted an offer with the company where she played a key role in its mock-up engineering department; pushing through various obstacles and following her instincts throughout her career.

"She worked with a lot of men," Daphne said. "But my grandmother’s a very tough cookie, so she went right in there with them!"

Lee's resilience and determination propelled her through 32 years at Rockwell, where she was the only African American woman on her team. In addition to her professional work, she was beloved for her culinary talents, which she regularly shared with her colleagues.

"They liked my cooking!" Lee laughed.

"That’s how she won a lot of hearts - she said ‘I can cook!’ said Daphne.

Since retiring, Lee has devoted herself to her passions, including gardening and cooking. She hopes her story will inspire others to pursue their dreams relentlessly - even if they seem impossible.

Lee’s message for the next generation is simple:

"Believe in yourself, trust in God, and work hard," she said.