HISTORY MINUTE

“Don’t let people put obstacles in front of you, but understand you also have to put in the work” were the words of engineer Raye Jean Montague as recalled by her son. Montague overcame the limitations of technology, the pressures of overwhelming hours, and the obstacles of prejudice to produce one of the major engineering breakthroughs of the time – the production of the first naval vessel designed entirely by computer. Her work brought computers to a new level of use and kept the U. S. Navy on the cutting edge of technology.

Born Raye Jean Jordan in Little Rock in 1935, she grew up in an Arkansas bogged down by the Great Depression and the ravages of segregation. Her father left when she was young, and her mother raised her while working as a beautician. Eventually, the two moved to Pine Bluff.

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