Over the course of history, the world has seen many geniuses. Even after they are gone, the contributions they make in their field of expertise leave the world a better place. Human intelligence has always pushed its limits when the need has arisen throughout history.
James Francis Goble was the husband of Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, a renowned mathematician who, before any feminist movement, broke down barriers of age, race, and gender through her meticulous and supreme performance in manual calculations and impeccable accuracy.
Not everyone in the world is acknowledged for their achievements. Some of them are identified after their deaths, while others remain unidentified and unnamed for the rest of their lives.
So it is with true heroes, let alone the supporting characters who assist them.
You’ve probably noticed that supportive family members of celebrities are rarely recognized for their contributions.
For such people to become famous, they need a big rumor or some shocking news. One of these well-known names is James Francis Goble.
Quick Facts
| Full name | James Francis Goble |
| Nickname | James |
| Birthdate | March 29, 1913 |
| Sun sign | Aries |
| Traits | Positive: passionate, enthusiastic, and hardworking
Negative: stubborn and impulsive |
| Place of birth | Marion, Smyth County, Virginia, United States. |
| Date of death | December 20, 1956 |
| Cause of death | Inoperable brain tumor |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Charles Jackson Goble, Sr. (father) Anna Thomas-Goble (Smith) (mother) |
| Siblings | Helen Goble McClanahan (sister) and three brothers |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Katherine Johnson |
| Children | Constance, Katherine, and Joylette (Daughters) |
Interesting facts about James Francis
1. James Francis Goble is married to a well-known mathematician.
Katherine Coleman Johnson, a renowned mathematician, was James’s wife. With her impeccable calculations, she assisted NASA in making Mercury and Earth’s orbit in space accessible to the general public.
2. James Francis was not a mathematician in the traditional sense.
James was not a mathematician like his wife. He worked as a chemistry teacher instead.
After graduating from college, he began his career as a teacher.
3. James is the father of three children.
Katherine and James had been married for seventeen years. Constance, Katherine, and Joylette are their three daughters.
4. In the award-winning film ‘Hidden Figures,’ James’ character is portrayed.
Hidden Figures is a three-time Academy Award nominee and winner of the Screen Actors Guild Award. Katherine and her colleagues struggle to work at NASA and contribute to making America a great nation in terms of research and development, as depicted in the film.
James’ character is portrayed as a caring husband in this scene.
5. A brain tumor claimed the life of James Francis Goble.
James died of an inoperable brain tumor at the age of 43. Katherine, his wife, had only been employed by NASA for three years.
While he battled the disease, she looked after him and the kids.
On December 20, 1956, he breathed his final breath.
James Francis Goble’s childhood, education, and parents
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 family. He had four siblings, the whereabouts of three of whom are unknown.
Three of them are believed to be brothers, while the fourth is Helen Goble McClanahan, his sister.
He was born and raised in an African-American family, and he had to deal with the hidden discrimination that existed in American society at the time.
He did, however, complete his education and begin working as a teacher.
Personality traits of James Francis Goble
His personality was that of a leader, as he was born under the sign of Aries. He was helpful, loyal, humble, reliable, and talented. His simple dressing style reflected his humble nature and preference for inner beauty over outward appearance.
Since he was a teacher himself, it also dictates his love and respect for academics and academicians.
He also married and had a long and happy relationship with a mathematician until his death.
He was a respected man with a positive demeanor, whose endeavors undoubtedly aided African-American family members in achieving higher academic achievements and even exposure to space.
Katherine Johnson and James Francis Goble
His wife Katherine is the only love of his life that the media is aware of. On August 26, 1918, she was born into a simple nuclear family with working parents.
Her father was a farmer, and her mother worked as a teacher in a nearby elementary school.
Katherine and James were both born and raised in West Virginia. Her ancestors came from West Virginia’s White Sulfur Springs.
James admired his partner’s dedication and hard work. She was a brilliant mind who honed her abilities in the face of social prejudice.
Katherine graduated from West Virginia State College in 1937 with a double major in mathematics and French. She married James two years after she graduated.
In 1953, James and his family relocated to Newport News in search of work. James and Katherine had three children during their seventeen years of marriage. Constance, Katherine, and Joylette are his lovely daughters.
James’ firstborn was born in 1940, bringing him joy and putting a stop to his wife’s career for the summer. She had to drop out of university and devote a decade of her life to motherhood and raising a family.
She even took on multiple teaching jobs to help support the family.
James, as the family’s patriarch, made significant efforts to raise his daughters into well-educated women.
It was all worthwhile because all of his children, as well as his wife, had successful careers.
It’s not easy being the husband of a groundbreaking artist. James did everything he could to help his wife become a successful pioneering genius female mind in America.
During James’ later years, life was difficult for all of them, especially Katherine.
James, on the other hand, had to support a wife who began her scientific career at the age of Jim Crow.
Even after a century of independence, white men were still marginalized in American society. He recognized his wife’s daily struggle and offered her encouragement.
James was her first husband, 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’s Professional Life
James worked as a chemistry instructor. He lived in Marion and married his choice of a well-educated and elegant university graduate lady.
Katherine Johnson, James Francis Goble’s wife, receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former US President Barack Obama.
In 2015, Katherine Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former US President Barack Obama.
Life was going well for James until the mid-nineteenth century, when he fell.
When James was in their hometown, he became ill. His illness became a long battle against an inoperable brain tumor (cancer). This was both expensive and exhausting.
His wife had to get a job because he was unable to continue working.
To raise their children, James and his wife are thought to have worked multiple jobs, including teaching. Katherine had to wait until she could enroll in a university degree and get a job at NASA because she was a unique brain inside a black woman during a time of discrimination.
It was a time when the death of a 35-year-old African American woman was more natural news than her authority.
When the family’s patriarch was ill, it was difficult for the family to make ends meet, and female employees were not paid as well as their male counterparts.
James and his family had the patience to deal with all of the challenges and face them head on. In such difficult times, James received strong support from his in-laws in re-establishing his wife’s career.
His family’s relocation to Newport following the diagnosis, which included her acceptance into NASA, was a game-changer.
One of the major highlights of Apollo 11 was her flawless calculations, which made other planets such as Mercury and Earth’s orbit in space accessible to earthlings.
However, it was not all plain sailing. Every day, she had to motivate herself to go to work.
James could not financially support her, but he was a tether and a moral supporter who kept the family together while everyone worked to advance their careers.
Katherine’s humble demeanor was influenced by James. As she demonstrated her diligence through numerous calculations, she felt exactly equal to her male colleagues at NASA.
She shied away from praise, focusing instead on doing what needed to be done for the job.
James was ecstatic to read about her accomplishments in the newspapers.
James Francis Goble is a well-known author.
James is a well-known public figure. His wife Katherine was an American physicist and mathematician who worked for NASA in an aeronautics space program and was responsible for groundbreaking research on orbital mechanics calculations.
James Francis Goble fame
Katherine’s contribution was crucial to the success of NASA’s attempt at crewed space flights, as well as every subsequent NASA discovery. She was dubbed a “American Academic Hero,” and she was essentially a “Computer” who established a mathematical legacy.
She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
Katherine left NASA in 1986 after 33 years of service in the flight research division. If it hadn’t been for the recent release of a film, she would have gone unnoticed. Her contributions were recognized in February 2016 with the release of the feature film “Hidden Figures.”
Katherine and her late colleagues were depicted in this film, and their contributions were pivotal in making America a great nation in terms of research and development. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and won a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Katherine was the only one of 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 comment about her own performance. She admitted, “I wasn’t that aggressive.”
In the month of February, she received a standing ovation, numerous camera flashes, and extensive media coverage. This piqued the media’s interest in the fictionalized characters from her life. This was a major reason why James was also thrust into the limelight.
She had become the most well-known of her previously unknown cohort by 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 Moon,” which she wrote herself.
Throughout all of these revelations, her first husband James was mentioned several times. This is why, sixty-four years after his death, James is still in the spotlight.
The charity of James Francis Goble
The family has always 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 difficult time when being a woman, as well as being a person of color, was discriminatory. Women of African descent faced double discrimination because they were separated from men in the dining room, the bathroom, and the workplace.
Since her university days, James’s wife has also contributed as a member of the alpha kappa alpha sorority group. This sorority was founded by African American women for the welfare and upliftment of other African American women in various areas such as academics and sports.
Social Media: Instagram, Facebook
When James passed away, computers were still in their infancy. He couldn’t possibly have that many photos taken of him. However, since his wife’s death in February, he has become extremely popular on social media.
Katherine died after becoming well-known as a result of a film based on her life. Important figures such as NASA Administrator James Bridenstine have responded to statements. As a result, James has become a celebrity hot topic on social media these days.
Death of James Francis Goble
In 1953, his wife was hired by NASA. James passed away three years after she was hired. Katherine was in a difficult situation. She was torn between a serious job and a gravely ill husband who was fighting a terminal illness. These years were spent in treatment and hope for his family.
James was battling cancer and had a difficult time breathing his last breath. In his final days, the only hope he could have had was his family’s unwavering support. On December 20, 1956, at the age of 43, he breathed his last breath.
He is buried in the 520 Shell Road Cemetery in Hampton, Hampton City County, Virginia 23661. His wife is buried in the same Pleasant Shade Cemetery as him. His family was there for him until he passed away, and they took good care of him.
He was a family man throughout his life. He was remembered by his family as a caring partner, a positive person, a devoted husband, and a cherished father. Despite his illness, he died a happy man.
What is the Cause of Death of James Francis Goble
In 1956, Katherine Johnson’s husband passed away from an inoperable brain tumor.
FAQ
What was the crime committed by James Francis Goble?
In his early years, James Francis Goble worked as a chemistry teacher. He was a respectable man who assisted African-Americans in achieving greater academic success.
What year did James Francis Goble pass away?
On December 20, 1956, James Francis Goble passed away.
What was the death’s cause?
An inoperable brain tumor was the cause of James Goble’s death.
When was James Goble born?
James Goble was born on March 29, 1913, in Marion, Smyth County, Virginia, United States.
Is James Francis Goble a white man or a black man?
James Francis Goble was not a white person. Instead, he came from a family of African descent in the United States.
Katherine Johnson’s first husband, who was he?
James Francis Goble was Katherine Johnson’s first husband. He was a professor.
When James Francis Goble died, how old was he?
When he died, James Francis Globe was only 43 years old. In his final days, he had the support of his family.
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