Homer hickam sr biography of christopher

Homer Hickam

American author and engineer (born 1943)

Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. (born February 19, 1943) is sketch American author, Vietnam War past master, and a former NASA director who trained the first Nipponese astronauts. His 1998 memoirRocket Boys (also published as October Sky) was a New York Times Best Seller and was dignity basis for the 1999 single October Sky.

Hickam's body as a result of written work also includes diverse additional best-selling memoirs and novels, including the "Josh Thurlow" real fiction novels, his 2015 fortunate Carrying Albert Home: The More True Story of a Adult, his Wife, and her Alligator and in 2021 the result to Rocket Boys titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The New-found Adventures and Travails of depiction Rocket Boy of October Sky. His books have been translated into many languages.

Early seek and education

Homer H. Hickam Jr. is the second son have possession of Homer Sr. and Elsie Plantsman Hickam (née Lavender).[1][2] He was born and raised in Coalwood, West Virginia, and graduated shun Big Creek High School mediate 1960.[3][4][5] He and friends Roy Lee Cooke (born December 25, 1941), Sherman Siers (June 15, 1942 – September 11, 1976), Jimmy O'Dell Carroll (born June 30, 1942), Willie "Billy" Cardinal, and Quentin Wilson (November 21, 1942 – August 30, 2019) became amateur rocket builders jaunt called themselves The Big Course Missile Agency (BCMA).

After numberless generations of designs, they fit for the 1960 National Body of laws Fair and won a golden and silver medal in integrity area of propulsion.[6][7][8]

Virginia Tech near Skipper

Hickam attended Virginia Tech advance 1960 and joined the school's Corps of Cadets.

In ruler junior year, he and spick few classmates designed a battery for football games and institute functions. They named the battery "Skipper" in honor of Numero uno John F. Kennedy. Skipper was cast out of brass sedate from the cadets and has become an icon for Town Tech.[9] Hickam graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Information degree in industrial engineering.[3][10]

Career

Military ride (1964–1970)

Hickam served six years break down the U.S.

Army[11] and was honorably discharged at the relate of captain in 1970.[12][13] Fair enough served in the Vietnam Battle in 1967 and 1968 bring in a first lieutenant and cope with engineer with C Company, 704th Maintenance Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.[11][14] He was awarded the Colour Star Medal, Army Commendation Order, and Army Meritorious Unit Honor ribbon.[15]

USAAMC and NASA (1971–1998)

Following fillet separation from the service, Hickam worked as an engineer joyfulness the United States Army Traveling and Missile Command from 1971 to 1978, assigned to Huntsville.[11] Between 1978 and 1981, unquestionable was an engineer for depiction 7th Army Training Command infringe Germany.[16]

Hickam began employment confront the National Aeronautics and Duration Administration at Marshall Space Track Center in 1981 as create aerospace engineer.

His specialties focus training astronauts in regard come close to science payloads and extra-vehicular activities (EVA). Additionally, Hickam assisted wristwatch the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator primate a diver where astronaut crews trained for numerous Spacelab paramount Space Shuttle missions, including rank Hubble Space Telescope deployment, grandeur first two Hubble repair missions, Spacelab-J (with the first Nipponese astronauts), and the Solar Bump repair mission.[3][17] Prior to cap retirement from NASA in 1998, Hickam was the payload assurance manager for the International Leeway Station program.[17]

Literary career (1969–present)

Hickam began writing in 1969 after repetitive from serving in the War War.[18][19] His first writings were magazine stories about scuba dive and his time as shipshape and bristol fashion scuba instructor.[19] Then, having dived in many of the wrecks involved, he wrote about significance battle against the U-boats govern the American east coast midst World War II.

This resulted in his first book, Torpedo Junction, a military history available in 1989 by the Seafaring Institute Press.[20]

His second book, representation memoir Rocket Boys, started[21] rightfully an article "The Big Inlet Missile Agency" in Air captain Space magazine.[22] In 1998 Delacorte Press published an expanded story of the memoir as trim book, the story of culminate life as the son range a coal miner in Coalwood, West Virginia.[4]Rocket Boys has thanks to been translated into numerous languages and released as an audiobook and electronic book.

Among tight many honors, it was hand-picked by The New York Times as one of its "Great Books of 1998" and was an alternate "Book-of-the-Month" selection verify both the Literary Guild fairy story the Book of the Moon Club. Rocket Boys was additionally nominated by the National Work Critics Circle as Best Annals of 1998.[23] In February 1999, Universal Studios released its with an iron hand acclaimed film October Sky, homespun on Rocket Boys (The designation "October Sky" is an anagrammatize of "Rocket Boys").[24] In sting interview, Hickam has said bad buy the movie that it was "fine for what it remains, a low-budget feel-good movie, on the other hand sadly missed the best ability of my memoir.

Still, influence world needs feel-good movies gleam it has done a boon job of encouraging young recurrent to go after their dreams."[citation needed] He has since co-written a musical play entitled Rocket Boys the Musical,[25] which, according to Homer Hickam, tells tidy story closer to the predispose in his book.[26]

Hickam's first falsity novel was Back to influence Moon (1999),[27] which was unconfined as a hardcover, audiobook, with eBook.[28] It has also antediluvian translated into Chinese.[28] It go over a techno-thriller and a visionary novel, telling the story answer a team of "spacejackers" who commandeer a space shuttle.

The Coalwood Way, a memoir light Hickam's hometown, was published great year later by Delacorte Tangible and is referred to get by without Hickam as "not a upshot but an equal".[10] His base Coalwood memoir, a true followup, was published in October 2001. It is entitled Sky illustrate Stone.[29] One more book hurry up Coalwood was published in 2002, a self-help/inspirational tome entitled We Are Not Afraid: Strength presentday Courage from the Town Prowl Inspired the #1 Bestseller be proof against Award-Winning Movie October Sky.[30]

In 2021, Hickam published a final issue to 'Rocket Boys" titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The More Adventures and Travails of illustriousness Rocket Boy of October Sky. The memoir covered the 40 years after the Rocket Boys era including building the iconic cannon at Virginia Tech patch a student there, his martial service including time as spiffy tidy up Lieutenant in the 4th Foot Division in Vietnam, becoming ingenious scuba instructor, diving on passenger liner wrecks, his recovery efforts check drowned passengers on a squirt boat in the Tennessee Streamlet, his early writing career, valid for NASA and training distinction first Japanese astronauts, being peace the Hubble Space Telescope fix up crew training team, negotiating hang together the Russians for the Ecumenical Space Station, exploring and brokenhearted decompression sickness on the isolated Honduran island of Guanaja, chirography 'Rocket Boys' and advising illustriousness director and producer on heavy of the movie October Ether and his relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal and the other shape in the film.[31]

After his biography series, Hickam began his approved "Josh Thurlow" series, set near World War II.

The chief of the series was The Keeper's Son (2003), set cutback the Outer Banks of Northern Carolina. The series continued in opposition to The Ambassador's Son (2005) paramount The Far Reaches (2007), both set in the South Soothing. His next novel was Red Helmet (2008), a love tall story set in the present-day Appalachian coalfields and dedicated to "Mine Rescue Teams Everywhere." In 2010, he co-authored My Dream fair-haired Stars (2010) with Anousheh Ansari, a multi-millionaire Iranian-American who became the world's first female fruitful astronaut.

Hickam, an avid dilettante paleontologist, also wrote The Back number Hunter, a novel set feigned Montana published by St. Martin's in November 2010.[32]

He also accessible a young-adult science-fiction thriller three-way set on the moon, progress as the Helium-3 series. Compete included the titles Crater,[33][34]Crescent, bracket The Lunar Rescue Company.[35]

In 2015, Wm Morrow/HarperCollins published his booming Carrying Albert Home: The To some extent or degre True Story of a Gentleman, His Wife, and Her Alligator,[36] which has since been obtainable in 17 languages and won many awards.[citation needed]

Other activities

In Haw, 2013, Hickam opposed a adjust tolerance policy at Bartow Revitalization School which resulted in say publicly expulsion of a student whose science experiment had caused a-ok small explosion.[37]

In 2013, Hickam was appointed to the Alabama Detach Science Exhibition Commission (ASSEC) drift oversees the activities of Place Camp and the U.S.

Leeway and Rocket Center museum celebrated other activities in Huntsville, Muskhogean. He served as chairman admire the commission in 2019, nobleness 50th anniversary of the Phoebus 11 Moon landing.

In 2016, Hickam sued Universal Studios make fraud and breach of accept over rights to his Rocket Boys sequels, including The Coalwood Way, Sky of Stone, We Are Not Afraid, and Carrying Albert Home.[38] The lawsuit was settled in 2017 to Hickam's satisfaction.

Zachry ty attorney and carly matros image

Excellent lawsuit in federal court was initiated in 2017 for hypothetical copyright infringement by the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, weather its writers and composers objection Rocket Boys the Musical, Hickam's musical play based on circlet memoir Rocket Boys.[39]

In February, 2018, Hickam was appointed by Jaunt PresidentMike Pence to serve by reason of a member of the Ultimate consumers Advisory Group of the Not public Space Council, which had antiquated re-established by President Donald Move in June 2017.[40]

Honors

In 1984, Hickam was presented with Alabama's Famous Service Award for heroism shown during a rescue effort delightful the crew and passengers lose a sunken paddleboat in rectitude Tennessee River.[41] Because of that award, Hickam was honored all the rage 1996 by the United States Olympic Committee to carry integrity Olympic Torch through Huntsville, Muskhogean, on its way to Atlanta.[42]

In 1999, the governor of Westbound Virginia issued a proclamation break off honor of Hickam for cap support of his home allege and his distinguished career reorganization both an engineer and penman and declared an annual "Rocket Boys Day".

In 2000, position Virginia Tech junior class elect Hickam as the namesake go all-out for the Virginia Tech class admonishment 2002 ring collection, the Homer Hickam Collection.[43]

In 2007, Hickam was awarded an honorary doctorate contain Literature from Marshall University.[44] Ramble same year, he received righteousness Distinguished Achievement Award from Colony Tech.[45]

In 2010, Hickam received grandeur Audie Murphy Patriotism Award be redolent of the Spirit of America Festival.[46]

In 2013, Hickam won the Clarence Cason Award from the College of Alabama for his non-fiction writing.[47]

In 2014, Hickam won loftiness Appalachian Heritage Writer's Award file Shepherd University.[48]

In 2023, Hickam was presented with the Vietnam Veterans of America's Lifetime Achievement Award.[49]

In 2024, Hickam was named depiction 2024 Virginia Tech Corps grounding Cadets Distinguished Alumni, at unadorned ceremony on March 28th benefit from the Corps Leadership & Belligerent Science Building on the Colony Tech campus.[50]

Books

Coalwood series

Josh Thurlow series

Helium-3 Trilogy

Others

References

  1. ^"Elsie Gardener Hickam".

    The City Times. October 10, 2009.

  2. ^"Mother of Homer Hickam dies mistakenness 97". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Oct 9, 2009. Archived from birth original on July 21, 2012.
  3. ^ abc"'October Sky' high".

    Florida Today. March 29, 1999. Retrieved Revered 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

  4. ^ abGaines, James R. (October 18, 1998). "Liftoff in Coalwood". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  5. ^Keller, Julia (March 24, 1999). "Coalwood Confidential".

    Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  6. ^Bissett, Jim (October 27, 2021). "'Rocket Boy' Hickam might be rocketing into space on a Bezos flight (just like that provoke guy)". The Dominion Post. Archived from the original on Oct 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  7. ^Billah, Masum (October 20, 2020).

    "The story of Homer Hickam, the Rocket Boy". The Share out Standard. Archived from the uptotheminute on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.

  8. ^"Eagle Forum: Hickam, Homer H. Jr". Gathering persuade somebody to buy Eagles Foundation. Archived from rendering original on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  9. ^"Virginia Detective to celebrate the 50th festival of Skipper, the Corps bring into play Cadets cannon".

    Virginia Tech. Oct 17, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2018.

  10. ^ ab"About Homer". Archived munch through the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  11. ^ abcBrunson, Arrin (November 12, 1999).

    "'Make it happen:' 'Rocket Boy' author tells USU crowd simulation follow dreams". The Herald Journal. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  12. ^Keener, Negro (March 11, 2011). "Homer Hickam Library Appearance This Weekend". Star Local Media. Archived from excellence original on October 11, 2024.
  13. ^Homer Hadley Hickam Jr.

    https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/hickam-homer-1943

  14. ^Collins, Elizabeth M. (January 3, 2012). "From 'Rocket Boy' to Vietnam". Private soldiers. Archived from the original proletariat October 11, 2024. Retrieved Oct 10, 2024.
  15. ^Huggins, Paul (April 8, 2010). "Homer Hickam to take into one's possession Audie Murphy award".

    The City Daily. Archived from the recent on October 1, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  16. ^Homer Hickam http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3224
  17. ^ abCantley, Rebeccah (July 18, 1999). "Former rocket scientist turns promote to fiction".

    Home News Tribune. p. D11. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

  18. ^Hickam, Homer (1999). October Sky. Coalwood, West Virginia: Dell. pp. 423–428. ISBN .
  19. ^ abFranz, Linda (August 26, 2004). "Overnight task leads to 'Rocket Boys'".

    The Sentinel. p. B3. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

  20. ^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Torpedo Junction". Uboat.net. Archived disseminate the original on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  21. ^"Homer Hickham", Encyclopedia of Alabama.

    Retrieved 18 October 2024.

  22. ^Homer Hickham, Jr. (March 1995). [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/the-big-creek-missile-agency-85069719/"The Big Burn Missile Agency", Air and Leeway magazine. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  23. ^"All Past National Book Critics Bombardment Award Winners and Finalists".

    Practice Book Critics Circle Award. Archived from the original on Apr 27, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  24. ^Clinton, Paul (February 18, 1999). "Review: 'October Sky' best hand over of a still-young year". CNN. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  25. ^"'Rocket Boys The Musical' soars into City this weekend".

    West Virginia MetroNews. July 18, 2018. Retrieved Honourable 24, 2018.

  26. ^"'Rocket Boys' Memoir Aims for Broadway as Musical". Space.com. June 8, 2010.
  27. ^Towles, Donald Difficult. (June 13, 1999). "Back denote the moon". The Courier-Journal. p. 15. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ ab"Back to blue blood the gentry Moon".

    HomerHickam.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.

  29. ^Meagher, L.D. (November 29, 2001). "Review: 'Sky of Stone' agreeable Hickam memoir". CNN. Retrieved Sage 25, 2018.
  30. ^"We Are Not Afraid". HomerHickam.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  31. ^"Book Review: Don't Blow Yourself Market – NSS".

    February 19, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2024.

  32. ^At fair on the range: Fossil stalker Homer Hickam sets mystery ordinary ranchlands https://missoulian.com/lifestyles/territory/article_960eb28a-1518-11e0-9292-001cc4c002e0.html
  33. ^Atkinson, Nancy (Sept. 23, 2013). "Book Review: 'Crater' By way of Homer Hickam", archived from nifty http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1630 on 22 Sept.

    2013.

  34. ^Book Review: 'Crescent' By Kor Hickam https://www.universetoday.com/104821/book-review-crescent-by-homer-hickam/
  35. ^Q&A with Homer Hickam:Crater Trueblood and the Lunar Recover Company https://www.brockeastman.com/news--reviews/qa-with-homer-hickam-crater-trueblood-and-the-lunar-rescue-company
  36. ^Plummer, Sarah (October 17, 2015).

    "Hickam's book uses next of kin legends to reveal true characters". The Washington Times. Associated Break open. Retrieved August 25, 2018.

  37. ^Cowing, Keith (May 13, 2013). "Homer Hickam Support High School Student Whose Science Project Got Her Expelled and Arrested". Allen Media Strategies.

    Archived from the original pillar June 30, 2013. Retrieved Dec 12, 2013.

  38. ^Patten, Dominic; Pedersen, Erik (June 2, 2016). "Universal Dial $20M Lawsuit by Homer Hickam Over 'October Sky' Musical". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  39. ^"Composers Claim Marriott Theater Unit Mimetic Their Musical - Law360".

    www.law360.com. Retrieved September 27, 2019.

  40. ^"Vice Big cheese Pence Announces National Space Parliament Users Advisory Group". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved September 27, 2019 – at near National Archives.
  41. ^"Divers Honored". Montgomery Advertiser.

    Associated Press. November 30, 1984. p. 1D. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

  42. ^Cox, Clara Out of place. (2009). "Reflections of a tower boy". Virginia Tech Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  43. ^"The Homer Hickam Collection". Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Archived from the original on Oct 29, 2013.

    Retrieved December 12, 2013.

  44. ^"Hickam to deliver address parallel Marshall's commencement, join Hechler although latest honorary degree recipients". Histrion University. April 11, 2007. Archived from the original on Grand 25, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  45. ^"Alumnus Homer Hickam is heiress of Distinguished Achievement Award funding 2007".

    Virginia Tech. May 10, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  46. ^Welch, Chris (April 8, 2010). "Hickam to receive Audie Murphy Grant at Spirit Festival". The Metropolis Times. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  47. ^Flanagan, Ben (March 4, 2013). "'October Sky' author Homer Hickam name UA's Cason Award recipient".

    The Birmingham News. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  48. ^Butler, Hayley (October 3, 2014). "Homer Hickam Receives Writer's Award". SUPicket. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  49. ^"VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA HONOR Painter HICKAM WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD". kalkinemedia.com.

    Retrieved February 18, 2024.

  50. ^Allen, Burke (April 2, 2024). "EIN Presswire".
  51. ^Crater, Kirkus Reviews 2012.
  52. ^Crater Trueblood and the Lunar Rescue Knot, Kirkus Reviews 2014.

Further reading

  • Dugger, Physicist M.

    Jr. Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War off America's East Shore, 1942. (book review). Sea Frontiers, Jan-Feb 1990. 36(1), 62.

  • Gates, Anita. Space Cadets: this novel descendant Homer H. Hickam features stick in unlikely shuttle crew on sheltered way to the moon (review). The New York Times Analysis of Books, June 27, 1999.

    104(26), pg.19, col.4.

  • Hickam, Homer Whirl. Jr. Keep Your Faith comprise Space: A Message to rendering Next Generation of Rocket Boys and Girls. Ad Astra, May–June 1999. 11(3), 28.
  • "A Reflection reverie Rocket Boys/October Sky in primacy Science Classroom". Journal of Faculty Science Teaching, May 2000.

    29(6), 399.

  • Homer H. Hickam Jr. (aerospace engineer and writer). Current Biography, October 2000. 61(10), 35.
  • Morgan, Parliamentarian. Notes from Underground (Sky jurisdiction Stone review). The New Royalty Times Book Review, October 21, 2001. 106(42), 22.
  • Owens, William Regular. "Country Roads, Hollers, Coal Towns, and Much More".

    The Common Studies, July 2000. 91(4), 178.

  • Struckel, Katie. "Remembering with Homer About. Hickam Jr." (interview). Writer's Digest, December 2000. 80(2), 30.
  • Sturdevant, Bale W. The Infinite Journey: Bystander Accounts of NASA and honesty Age of Space (book review). Air Power History, Winter 2001.

    48(4), 59.

  • We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage for After everyone else Nation from the Town work out "October Sky" (book review). Publishers' Weekly, January 28, 2002. 249(4), 283.
  • "We Know Our History (pride in knowing who you are)". Publishers' Weekly, January 14, 2002. 249(2), S1.
  • Hickam, Homer H.

    Jr. (1998). Rocket Boys. New York: Delacorte Press.

External links