"They Never Became Astronauts: The Story of the Mercury 13." She first came to Lovelaces attention as a seasoned barnstormer, ferry, and corporate pilot with speed, distance, and altitude records. Undeterred, Lovelace and Flickinger found an ally in Jerrie Cobb, an accomplished woman aviator who earned her commercial license when she was just 18. And, although she never flew in space, Cobb, along with 24 other women, underwent physical tests similar to those taken by the Mercury astronauts with the belief that she might become an astronaut trainee. In 1960, Lovelace invited Geraldyn "Jerrie" Cobb to undergo the same rigorous challenges as the men. Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository. Born on March 5, 1931, in Norman, Oklahoma, Cobb was the daughter of Lt. Col. William H. Cobb and Helena Butler Stone Cobb.From birth, Cobb was on the move as is the case for many children of military families. Ollstein hopes audiences will leave her play with a sense of how hard these women fought, and how many of their stories are lost. Lovelace and Flickinger wanted to implement a similar testing program in the U.S., but NASA was already committed to using male military test pilots for astronaut testing. [13] Astronaut John Glenn stated at the hearing that "men go off and fight the wars and fly the airplanes", and "the fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order". Still hopeful, Cobb emerged in 1998 to make another pitch for space as NASA prepared to launch Mercury astronaut John Glenn the first American to orbit the world on shuttle Discovery at age 77. "It just didn't work out then, and I just hope and pray it will now," she added. Jerrie Cobb's father taught her to fly a biplane at age twelve and by age sixteen she was flying the Piper J-3 Cub, a popular light aircraft. She came to see the physical fitness tests as the best way to prove that NASA should train female astronauts. A total of 13 women passed the difficult physical testing and became known as the Mercury 13, a . "Were now on our third cast; we know what will help the actors, what will help the story be understood. The formerSoviet Union ended up putting the first woman into space in 1963: Valentina Tereshkova. Failure is Not An Option: The Story of Jerrie Cobb and the First Women Astronaut Trainees, Part 1. It didn't. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Series is arranged alphabetically.Series II, PHOTOGRAPHS, 1931?-2000s (#PD.1-PD.47), includes photographs, slides, and negatives documenting Cobb's astronaut training, her career as a pilot, and her flights ferrying supplies and aid to indigenous peoples in South America. Jerrie Cobb: NASA first female astronaut candidate dies - 9News John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, testified in a 1962 Congressional hearing on allowing women in the space program that It is just a fact the men go off and fight the wars and fly the airplanes and come back and help design and build and test them. They underwent fourdays of testing, doing the same physical and psychological tests as the original Mercury Seven had. ThoughtCo. In 1962 Cobb, with fellow Mercury 13 astronaut Jane Hart, testified at a Congressional hearing about allowing American women to fly into space, but the American space program's astronaut corps would remain closed to women until 1978. Check out our exhibitionDestination Moon: The Apollo 11 Missionto see how NASA landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Jerrie Cobb, Record-Breaking Pilot and Advocate for Female Spaceflight Undeterred, Lovelace and Flickinger found an ally in Jerrie Cobb, an accomplished woman aviator who earned her commercial license when she was just 18. Jerrie Cobb, Janey Hart (a fellow FLAT), aviator Jacqueline Cochran, NASA's deputy administrator George Low, John Glenn and Scott Carpenter testified before Congress on July 17 and 18, 1962, a year before Gordon Cooper flew on the final Mercury flight. In 1964, This Woman Took Off From Columbus And Became The First Woman The preeminent research library on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library documents women's lives from the past and present for the future. NASA never flew another elderly person in space, male or female. (Picture: AP) America's first female . New Yorks Miranda Theatre Company held the first workshops for They Promised Her the Moon in November 2016. WWII, Jerrie Cobb biography, birth date, birth place and pictures Cobb, Geraldyn M. | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Weeks after being born Cobb's family moved to Washington, D.C., where her grandfather, Ulysses Stevens Stone, was serving in the United States House of Representatives. Her autobiography Jerrie Cobb: Solo Pilot details her extraordinary life. Then it took 12 more years before a woman actually flew an American spacecraft. "I come from a very collaborative world of working in companies," Ollstein says, "so I love rewriting in the room. Shes grateful that, in theater, writers have the final saywhich is seldom true in film or TV. Their reasons were practical rather than political: women tended to handle stress better, weigh less, consume less oxygen and use less energy than men, making them great test subjects for spaceflight. NASA wouldnt send a female astronaut into orbit until 20 years later. I would give my life to fly in space, I really would, Cobb told The Associated Press at age 67 in 1998. Deeply disappointed, Cobb abandoned her dream of becoming an astronaut and devoted the rest of her life to flying supplies and medicine to remote areas of the Amazon, instead. Died: 18 March 2019 in Florida, United States, aged 88. Its hard for me to talk about it, but I would. Play Explores Ups, Downs and 'Remarkable' Life of 1st Female Astronaut At the age of 21 she was delivering military fighters and four-engine bombers to foreign Air Forces worldwide. Cobb and Jane Hart testified about the women's successes. Jacqueline Cochran, the famous pilot and businesswoman, and Lovelaces old friend, joined the project as an advisor and paid all of the womens testing expenses. She also became the first woman to fly in the Paris Air Show. I couldnt reach the pedals, so I just played around with the stick and it was just marvelous. Of the Mercury 7 astronauts, John Glenn had the most flight experience at a total of 5,100 hours. Geraldyn "Jerrie" Cobb, record-setting pilot and advocate for women in spaceflight, died on March 18, her family reported in an April 18 statement. Jerrie Cobb was the first female to volunteer for the program. But Cobb had no interest in working as a secretary, though she did want to become an astronaut. 1979 Bishop Wright Air Industry Award for her "humanitarian contributions to modern aviation". #BecauseOfHerStory pic.twitter.com/AeDKfqMzAn. Want to learn more about the history of spaceflight? (See also #PD.1 for images of Cobb as a child and with family). Jerrie Cobb fought back against that discriminatory rule. Series is arranged chronologically.Most of the photographs in this collection are or will be digitized and available online. Bio Oklahoma native Jerrie Cobb received her pilot's license at age 17, her commercial pilot's license at 18, and flight and ground instructor's rating at 21. MC 974, folder #. In the late 1950s, Dr. Randy Lovelace and General Donald Flickinger of the Air Force heard about how the Soviet Union was planning to send women cosmonauts into space. Mercury 13 - Wikipedia Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. So exceptional that her stress test scores exceeded those of the astronauts in the Mercury 7 Project. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 'The Astronaut Wives Club': Space history vs. Hollywood in Episode 5 In 1961, Cobb became the first woman to pass astronaut testing. None of the Mercury 13 ever reached space, despite Cobbs testimony in 1962 before a Congressional panel. Aviator Jerrie Cobb was born in Norman, Oklahoma, on March 5, 1931, the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel William H. Cobb and Helene Butler Stone Cobb. https://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/sch01647/catalog Accessed May 01, 2023. In 1953, Cobb worked for Fleetway, Inc., ferrying war surplus aircraft to other countries, including to the Peruvian Air Force. "Jerrie Cobb served as an inspiration to many of our members in her record breaking, her desire to go into space, and just to prove that women could do what men could do," said Laura Ohrenberg, headquarters manager in Oklahoma City for the Ninety-Nines Inc., an international organization of licensed women pilots. Americas first female astronaut candidate, pilot Jerrie Cobb, who pushed for equality in space but never reached its heights, has died. Jerrie Cobb Papers, 1931-2012; item description, dates. She wrote to President Kennedy in protest, and Congress convened to investigate. Jerrie Cobb, a member of the Mercury 13, is seen testing in 1960 in NASA's Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility. After public testimony by Cobb, Hart, and Cochran, as well as NASA representatives George Low and astronauts John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, the Subcommittee finished the hearings without taking any action. At seventeen years old, while attending Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Cobb earned her private pilot's license and she earned her commercial pilot's license the following year. She held four world records in speed, altitude, and distance. New Horizons - Jerrie (Geraldyn) Cobb (3/18/2019) (The Cobb first flew in an aircraft at age twelve, in her father's open cockpit 1936 Waco biplane. She flew her fathers open cockpit Waco biplane at age 12 and got her private pilots licence four years later. Jerrie Cobb, Rhea Hurrle, and Wally Funk went to Oklahoma City for an isolation tank test. "I kept coming away with the fact that when women start talking about flying, they have this euphoric look," she says. It took 15 years before the next U.S. women were selected to go to space, and the Soviets didn't fly another female for nearly 20 years after Tereshkova's flight. An August 1960 photo of Jerrie Cobb identifies the lady space cadet by height, weight, and measurements. The oldest was 41 and a mother of eight; the youngest just 23. Now, there's a campaign to put one of them -- Jerry Cobb -- into orbit. Without an official NASA request to run the tests, the Navy would not allow the use of their facilities. PDF Test E Giochi Matematici Test Attitudinali E Giochi Logico Matematici Jerrie Cobb - Wikipedia "Promised the Moon: The untold story of the first women in the space race". Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/mercury-13-first-lady-astronaut-trainees-3073474. Alan Shephard, the first American in space, had bailed on the simulator during his first test while Cobb spun in it for 45 minutes. Jerrie Cobb. The piece introduced Jerrie Cobb to the nation as a prospective space pilot and praised her as someone who complained less than the Mercury men had. For reference, the Mercury men were the seven original American astronauts. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Finally, on the 17th and 18th of July 1962, Representative Victor Anfuso (R) of New York convened public hearings before a special Subcommittee of the House . The Crimes Of Eric Rudolph, The Atlanta Bomber Who Attacked The 1996 Summer Olympics. They found a freedom in flying; a way they could have total control.". By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Dr. Lovelace administered these tests through the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLAT) program without official NASA approval. Cobb had one older sister, Carolyn. The trip lasted a total of 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes. Greene, Nick. Oklahoma native Jerrie Cobb received her pilots license at age 17, her commercial pilots license at 18, and flight and ground instructors rating at 21. They attended hearings chaired by Representative Victor Anfuso and testified on behalf of the women. There are also letters from and photographs with Cobb and her fianc Jack Ford from the 1950s. By 1964, Cobb left NASA and spent the next fifty years operating an airlift service to indigenous peoples in remote areas of the Amazon. The women became known as the Mercury 13. She was ready to fly, but never made it into space. Having taken up flying at just age 12, she held numerous world aviation records for speed, distance and altitude, and had logged more . She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame, and Women in Aviation Internationals Pioneer Hall of Fame. There, 13 out of 19 women candidates passed the same astronaut training requirements as the Mercury 7 astronauts, proving that women had the same physical, mental and psychological capabilities as men. Jerrie Cobbs prestigious career brought her to the attention of NASA physicians. The Story Of Jerrie Cobb, The Record-Breaking Pilot Who Should Have Been Americas First Female Astronaut. The bulk of the series consists of publicity images of Cobb at promotional and award events or receptions surrounding her world record flights. This is the story of how rampant sexism kept a pioneering pilot out of space history. Why yes, her numbers are fantastic36-24-36!", Sardelli and Ollstein both say the collaboration has been fabulous so far. But NASA already had its Mercury 7 astronauts, all jet test pilots and all military men. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. In the end, thirteen women passed the same physical examinations that the Lovelace Foundation had developed for NASAs astronaut selection process. While some duplicates have been removed, additional duplicates and similar types of materials can be found throughout the collection. How I would love to see our beautiful blue planet Earth floating in the blackness of space. Cobb passed all the training exercises, ranking in the top 2% of all astronaut candidates of both genders. Soon afterward, Tereshkova ridiculed Cobb for her religious beliefs but sympathized with the sexism she encountered: "They (American leaders) shout at every turn about their democracy and at the same time they announce they will not let a woman into space. Tanya Lee Stone. Yet NASA had no interest in admitting women to its astronaut program and neither did the male astronauts. After graduating from Oklahoma Citys Classen High School, she spent one year at the Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, Oklahoma (now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma). [5], She gained her Private Pilot's license at the age of 17 and her Commercial Pilot's license on her 18th birthday. From birth, Cobb was on the move as is the case for many children of military families. NASAAlthough Jerrie Cobb scored in the top two percent of NASA astronaut training, the agency refused to allow women like her to join. [1], Born on March 5, 1931, in Norman, Oklahoma,[2] Cobb was the daughter of Lt. Col. William H. Cobb and Helena Butler Stone Cobb. Other tests examined their lung capacity and endurance. This was much more grueling than NASAs test, which left astronaut trainees alone in a room for three hours. In the inventory, the term "photograph binder" indicates the original photographs were sleeved in a three-ring binder, while "photograph album" indicates a more traditional photograph album. Why did it take us so long? Because of other family and job commitments, not all of the women were asked to take these tests. Daughter of William Harvey Cobb and Helena Butler (Stone) Cobb. [23], Cobb received numerous aviation honors, including the Harmon Trophy and the Fdration Aronautique Internationale's Gold Wings Award. Clare Booth Luce published an article about the Mercury 13in Life magazine criticizing NASA for not achieving this first. [6], On March 18, 2019, thirteen days after her 88th birthday, Cobb died at her home in Florida. When Amanda Quaid, who played Cobb, sent out an email blast about the production, it caught the eye of The Old Globes artistic director, Barry Edelstein. Geraldyn "Jerrie" M. Cobb, first woman to pass astronaut testing in 1961, Humanitarian Aid Pilot in Amazonia, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, author, and lifelong advocate for women pilots in space, passes away at 88. ", She wrote in her 1997 autobiography "Jerrie Cobb, Solo Pilot," "My country, my culture, was not ready to allow a woman to fly in space.". NASA's 1st female astronaut candidate, Jerrie Cobb, dies - Phys.org Geraldyn Cobb was born on 5 March 1931 in Norman, Oklahoma, the second daughter of a military pilot and his wife. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures. Ace pilots. (1931 - 2019) Geraldyn M (Jerrie) Cobb. Following her deep disappointment that there would be no further testing or entry into the U.S. space program for her, Cobb became a missionary pilot, merging her love of flight with her desire to serve others. San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive/Wikimedia CommonsJerrie Cobb receiving a pilots award. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Shortly before they were scheduled to report, the women received telegrams canceling the Pensacola testing. Already a veteran pilot at age 29, she aced a battery of tests given to women eager to join the men already jostling for trips to space. She was 88. Cobb was dismissed one week after commenting: Im the most unconsulted consultant in any government agency., She wrote in her 1997 autobiography Jerrie Cobb, Solo Pilot, My country, my culture, was not ready to allow a woman to fly in space.. Having taken up flying at just age 12, she held numerous world aviation records for speed, distance and altitude, and had logged more than 10,000 hours of flight time. Valentina Tereshkova: The First Woman in Space, The Life of Guion "Guy" Bluford: NASA Astronaut, The Life and Times of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, Apollo 14 Mission: Return to the Moon after Apollo 13, History of the Apollo 11 Mission, "One Giant Leap for Mankind", Visiting the Johnson Houston Space Center, original U.S. astronauts, the "Mercury Seven, Bernice "B" Trimble Steadman (now deceased). There is a related collection of Jerrie Cobb Papers at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. In the early 1960s, the space race heated up. Jerrie Cobb was an exceptional human being. Cobb died in Florida at age 88 on March 18 following a brief illness. [25], Sonya Walger portrays the character Molly Cobb, based on Jerrie Cobb, in the 2019 alternate history TV series For All Mankind, in which Cobb becomes the first American woman in space. The two reunited for a second workshop in August at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, where the play continued to evolve. In this one area of the space race, American men had simply chosen not to compete. Los Angeles, CA, March 11, 2021 Did you know that women make up half of the U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 28 percent make careers in science and engineering? They were:Jerrie Cobb, Myrtle "K" Cagle, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Wally Funk, Jean Hixson, Irene Leverton, Sarah Gorelick [Ratley], Jane B. Hart, Rhea Hurrle [Woltman], Jerri Sloan [Truhill], Gene Nora Stumbough [Jessen], and Bernice "B" Trimble Steadman. News Negative Space In the 1960s, 13 who passed the rigorous tests for space flight were grounded because of their gender. SD.1), includes extensive clippings, correspondence, writings, photographs, press releases, t-shirts, and printed materials documenting Cobb's role in the space program, her astronaut training, her flying career, and her work in the Amazon. "[17][7][18], Cobb then began over 30 years of missionary work in South America, performing humanitarian flying (e.g., transporting supplies to indigenous tribes), as well as surveying new air routes to remote areas. - Informationen zum Thema Jerrie Cobb NASA space pilot woman pilot female pilot Mercury 13 Amazon", National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Cobb, Geraldyn M. "Jerrie", https://www.thoughtco.com/errie-cobb-3072207, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerrie_Cobb&oldid=1143859765, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma alumni, Classen School of Advanced Studies alumni, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from NASA, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Named Pilot of the Year by the National Pilots Association, Fourth American to be awarded Gold Wings of the, Honored by the government of Ecuador for pioneering new air routes over the Andes Mountains and Andes jungle, 1962 Received the Golden Plate Award of the, Received Pioneer Woman Award for her "courageous frontier spirit" flying all over the. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8, Continue reading your article witha WSJ subscription, Already a subscriber? CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. America's first female astronaut candidate, pilot Jerrie Cobb, who pushed for equality in space but never reached its heights, has died. [6], Cobb set three aviation records in her 20s: the 1959 world record for nonstop long-distance flight, the 1959 world light-plane speed record, and a 1960 world altitude record for lightweight aircraft of 37,010 feet (11,280m; 11.28km). "[15], Cobb lobbied, along with other Mercury 13 participants, including Jane Briggs Hart, to be allowed to train alongside the men. But Im happy flying here in Amazonas, serving my brethren. NASACobb at the Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility. Why People Thought Women Couldn't Be Astronauts - The Atlantic (I am happy, Lord, happy.). 1960, Life magazine published an article titled, A Lady Proves That Shes Fit for Space Flight.. The results were announced at a conference in Stockholm, Sweden. I would then, and I will now.". Cobb maintained that the geriatric space study should also include an older woman. The papers of Jerrie Cobb document Cobb's professional life, highlighting her career as a pilot and her participation in Mercury 13, including her attempts to be the first woman in space, the public impact of her career, and her humanitarian work flying medicine and food to remote parts of the Amazon. In the 1950s, female pilots were rare. While the seven original male astronauts averaged under 3,000 flight hours each, Cobb brought over 10,000 hours herself. Sleeping under the Cub's wing at night, she helped scrape together money for fuel to practice her flying by giving rides. The result was Lovelaces Woman in Space Program, a short-lived, privately-funded project testing women pilots for astronaut fitness in the early 1960s. "They Never Became Astronauts: The Story of the Mercury 13." LAUREL OLLSTEIN ON JERRIE COBB - YouTube "She should have gone to space, but turned her life into one of service with grace," tweeted Ellen Stofan, director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and a former NASA scientist. [22] Many aviators and astronauts of the time believed this was a failed chance for NASA to right a wrong they had made years before. After graduating from Oklahoma City's Classen High School, she spent one year at the Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, Oklahoma (now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma). [6][8], To save the money to buy a surplus World War II Fairchild PT-23 to allow her to be self-employed, Cobb played women's softball on a semiprofessional team, the Oklahoma City Queens. Also included in this series are letters from the public, supporters, colleagues, etc. She was the first to complete each of the tests. But the worst for Trudy is still to come: She meets with Jerrie Cobb in a diner, ready to fully commit to her Mercury 13 program but Cobb says she's rescinding the invitation. At 67, Cobb, and who had passed the same tests as John Glenn, petitioned NASA for the chance to participate in such a space flight, but NASA stated "it had no plans to involve additional senior citizens in upcoming launches". Cobb again met with gender issues in South America, as existing missionary and humanitarian groups would not hire a female pilot, so she started her own unaffiliated foundation and flew solo for more than 50 years. A devout Christian, Cobb studied religion and philosophy.While still in her twenties, Cobb became the first woman to fly in the Paris Air Show, the world's largest air exposition, where she was awarded the Amelia Earhart Gold Medal of Achievement. When Lovelace and Flickinger told her about the idea of including women in an astronaut testing program, Cobb couldnt say yes fast enough! [6] As a NASA historian wrote: Although she never flew in space, Cobb, along with twenty-four other women, underwent physical tests similar to those taken by the Mercury astronauts with the belief that she might become an astronaut trainee. The Mercury 13 were thirteen American women who took part in a privately funded program run by William Randolph Lovelace II aiming to test and screen women for spaceflight.The participantsFirst Lady Astronaut Trainees (or FLATs) as Jerrie Cobb called themsuccessfully underwent the same physiological screening tests as had the astronauts selected by NASA on April 9, 1959, for Project Mercury. Jerrie Cobb Obituary (1931 - 2019) - Staten Island, NY - Staten Island Cobb -- a record-setting pilot . The Class of 1978 and the FLATs | NASA By the fall of 1961, a total of 25 women, ranging in age from 23 to 41, went to the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jerrie Cobb was Americas first woman to complete astronaut training and qualify for space flight. Laurel Ollstein discusses the intrepid Jerrie Cobb, an ace pilot who dreamed of becoming an astronaut. By 1960 she had 7,000 hours of flying time. Aviator Jerrie Cobb was born in Norman, Oklahoma, on March 5, 1931, the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel William H. Cobb and Helene Butler Stone Cobb. Jerrie Cobb underwent 75 tests in all, and in the end, she scored in the top two percent of trainees outscoring several of the male Mercury astronauts. But her efforts were to no avail, as NASA simply refused to select women like her. Continuing the Legacy of the African American Read-In - NCTE The finalists were dubbed the First Lady Astronaut Trainees, and eventually, the Mercury 13. During her historic flight, she traveled 23,103 miles in just under 30 days. In the early 1960s, when the first groups of astronauts were selected, NASA didn't think to look at the qualified female pilots who were available. [3], As a child growing up in Oklahoma, Cobb took to aviation at an early age, with her pilot father's encouragement. Topics: I would then, and I will now.. After all, women are, on average, lighter and smaller than men, and require less oxygen. Kat. Those hearings found no sympathetic ear among the Mercury Seven; John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, said, "The fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order."