The Virginia Museum of History & Culture unveiled Gladys West's portrait in its Agents of Change series, honoring her role in developing GPS.
On September 20, 2023, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture formally unveiled a portrait of Dr. Gladys West as part of its Agents of Change series, an initiative dedicated to honoring Virginians who have made transformative contributions to society, science, and culture.
The unveiling represented a significant act of institutional and cultural memory-keeping, permanently enshrining West's image and story within her home state's premier historical museum. As a series specifically created to spotlight change-makers whose contributions have often been overlooked by traditional historical narratives, Agents of Change was a fitting venue for honoring West, whose foundational role in GPS technology had gone unrecognized publicly for decades.
The portrait ensures that future generations of museum visitors, including Virginia schoolchildren, will encounter West's story alongside other significant historical figures from the state. It solidified her place not just in the history of science and technology, but in the broader civic and cultural memory of Virginia, connecting her personal journey from a segregated rural upbringing in Dinwiddie County to international scientific acclaim with the state's own historical narrative of change and progress.