biography
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1910–99)
|
| biography:
| Aviation physician, born in Salvador, Brazil. The son of American missionary parents, he earned a PhD in biophysics (1939) and a medical degree (1943) before joining the army medical corps, where he began a life's work of research into the limits of human endurance, especially in regard to the physiological effects of high acceleration. As part of his research, he rode a rocket sledge to a land speed record of 632 mph in 1954. His work helped speed the manned exploration of space, and he served as chief scientist of the Aerospace Medical Team in 1962. He joined the faculty of the University of Southern California after retiring from government service in 1970. |
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