Granville was one of the first two Black women in the United States to earn a Ph.D in mathematics. Her degree, despite hardships, led to positions working on NASA's early human spaceflight missions and a long career in education.
As shown in the group of Black women featured in the book and 2016 film "Hidden Figures," Granville rose up, despite racial adversity, to contribute significantly to NASA's early human spaceflight missions, including the Mercury and Apollo programs.