Nancy Grace Roman was born in Nashville, Tennessee on May 16, 1925. Her mother, Georgia Smith Roman, was a former music teacher and her father, Irwin Roman was a geophysicist. She received her B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1946 and her Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1949.

After receiving her Ph.D., Nancy Grace Roman remained at the University of Chicago as a research associate, and later, as an assistant professor. In 1955 she took a position as an astronomer with the Radio Astronomy Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory. She was the head of the Microwave Spectroscopy Section when, in 1959, she left NRL to become the head of the observational astronomical program at NASA. Dr. Roman remained at NASA, serving as Chief of the Astronomy and Relativity Programs in the Office of Space Sciences from 1960, until her retirement in 1979.

The high ranking position Nancy Grace Roman held, at a time when it was unusual for women to have such responsibility, is a strong indication of her knowledge and abilities. Because of her achievements in a field dominated by men, Dr. Roman has become a role model for young women.

Dr. Roman has been an active public speaker, presenting talks to university students as well as civic and professional groups. Topics discussed are not limited to science, but also the role of women within science. In 1963, she defended NASA's lack of women astronauts by citing the important contributions women were making to the space program in other ways.

Dr. Roman is the recipient of many awards and honors, including the 1962 Federal Woman's Award and NASA's Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award in 1969.

In a 1980 interview (at the AIP) Nancy Grace Roman credited the clear skies of Nevada and her mother for introducing her to the constellations. Dr. Roman also said she made the decision to become an astronomer very early in life.

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Nancy Roman redactó su propia biografia: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/bios/women/nr.html