Annie Mae Turner Taylor Randall was born in the middle of the Roaring ’20s on January 22, 1925, in Greenwood, South Carolina. Born to the late Joel Turner and Sarah (Chin) Turner, Annie Mae dropped the “Mae” when she entered the workforce with the US federal government. Growing up in a segregated Washington, DC (what is now Capitol Hill), Ann met friends for life on “3rd and G Streets, Northeast.” She attended public schools and earned straight As, even skipping the eighth grade. She graduated from Dunbar High School.

Ann began her government career at the United States War Production Board during WWII. Early in her career, she also worked for the United States Navy and Air Force. Ann was one of the early “Government Girls,” a term coined during WWII when the federal government hired women to fill roles during a labor shortage. Not only was Ann a woman in the workforce during the 1940s and 50s, she was also the first professional African-American in several government agencies in which she worked. She excelled despite facing blistering discrimination and overt racism, including a supervisor ordering that his desk be turned away from Ann so he “didn’t have to look at a n—–.” Tenacious and resolute in her commitment to excellence, Ann continued to deliver outstanding results in spite of the circumstances she faced.

Like Katherine Johnson in the film “Hidden Figures,” Ann loved and excelled at math. A trailblazer in her own right, Ann was a mathematical statistician at the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) in the Theoretical Statistics and Mathematics branch. She was responsible for the calculations behind the book Human Aging, published in the late 1960s and still used today for behavioral and biological studies. At NIMH, Ann used one of the first mainframe computers and the Friden Calculator (featured in “Hidden Figures”). Ann received numerous letters of commendation from multiple sources, including the University of Pennsylvania and National Academy of Sciences. Ann’s story is the subject of a doctoral dissertation earned by Aura Wharton-Beck (University of St. Thomas-Minnesota) in 2016.

Ann met the love of her life, William “Sonny” Randall, in 1953, and they married in 1957. Their proudest moments have been the successes of their daughters, Susan and Laura, and the birth of their five grandchildren. Ann and Sonny were known for cook-outs at their home, which were famous for their delicious food, side-splitting humor, legendary stories, and impromptu talent shows.

Ann is known for her smile, laughter, humor, and hats—all worn with her one-of-a-kind style, grace, and poise. Indeed, she has been called the “Silver Fox” and “Life of the Party”! “Ma,” as she is affectionately called by extended family and the friends of her children and grandchildren, has been a mother to many people over the years. Hers was the “Kool-Aid” house, where all the neighborhood children wanted to be and friends and relatives always wanted to go. There, they knew they’d find fun, food, fellowship, and—most of all—love.

Known for her sincerity, love, prayers, encouragement, and generosity, Ann is both beloved and valued. She is the true matriarch of her family. And as everyone who knows Ma can attest, family is paramount to her—especially knowing ones roots. Ma enjoys spending time with family, laughing, telling stories, sharing life lessons, listening to “oldies” and Motown music, talking on the phone, going on “field trips,” shopping, ordering items from her favorite stores, and waiting until the package—actually packages—arrive!