Who is Nancy Grace Roman?
It is with great pleasure that we dedicate this space observatory tasked with increasing our understanding of dark energy, the universe, and our place in it, to Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, the pioneer of modern space-based astronomy.
Known as the "mother of the Hubble Space Telescope," Nancy Grace Roman was born May 16, 1925 in Nashville, Tennessee, and died December 25, 2018.
From a young age, Roman showed an interest in astronomy, and when she was 11 years old she organized a club with her classmates in Reno, Nevada. In this club they learned about constellations and celestial objects from a book.
By high school, Roman realized that she had a passion for astronomy and wanted to pursue it. Her academic prowess was highlighted when she participated in an accelerated program and graduated in three years from Baltimore's Western High School.
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/who-is-nancy-grace-roman/