File in this march, 1962 file photo, jane hart, left, wife of sen. Captain marvel and the real history of womens aviation. News of her death came thursday from journalist miles obrien. This group of women, whom jerrie cobb called the first lady astronaut trainees flats, accepted the. Honoring the mercury women may 12, 2007 uw oshkosh spring commencement. Ackmann has done outstanding investigative reporting. She does a little jig from the tip of one wing to the other, a few small steps for a woman to celebrate that giant leap for mankind. Gene nora stumbough jessen, wally funk, jerrie cobb, jerri sloan truhill, sarah gorelick ratley, myrtle kay cagle, and bernice b steadman. She was a proud oklahoman who cherished several recognitions by her home state. Honoring the mercury women university of wisconsin. Jerrie cobb, jane hart, the twins jan and marion dietrich, b steadman, jerri sloan, wally funk, sarah gorelick, irene leverton, myrtle k cagle, gene nora stumbough, rhea hurrle, and jean hixson. Thirteen of these women went on to be known informally as the mercury.
A historian and author explains what mercury is missing about what went on behind the scenes. A play, they promised her the moon, being staged through may 12 at the old globe, tells the true story of jerrie cobb, one of the women astronaut hopefuls. Despite the crushing disappointment of watching their dreams being derailed, the mercury went on to extraordinary achievement in their lives. The doc is a touching portrait of the women pilots, but it leaves some questions unanswered. Jerrie cobb, pioneering aviator and subject of nowrunning. Cape canaveral, florida americas first female astronaut candidate, pilot jerrie cobb, who pushed for equality in space but never reached its.
Between february 1961 and that summer, 12 women aviators were test candidates sworn to secrecy to become the mercury. The thirteen women, also called the mercury, are listed here. Americas first female astronaut candidate, pilot jerrie cobb, who pushed for equality in space but never reached its heights, has died. Female space pioneer and member of the mercury, jerrie. Jerrie cobb became the first woman to pass all the preflight tests for being an astronaut in 1961. A total of women passed the difficult physical testing and became known as the mercury, a reference. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The true story of thirteen women and the dream of space flight the article described the upcoming 1998 return to space for veteran astronaut john glenn and several paragraphs down, a single sentence caught my eye. With the landmark anniversary of nasas mercury seven announcement in 1959 on april 9, there will be much deserved celebration surrounding the accomplishments of the seven male astronauts who blasted off into the history books. Geraldyn jerrie cobb, the first woman to pass nasas astronaut training, has died. For readers of the astronaut wives club, the mercury reveals the littleknown true story of the remarkable women who trained for nasa space flight. In 1960, lovelace invited geraldyn jerrie cobb to undergo the.
Helen cobb is almost certainly inspired by geraldyn jerrie cobb, a prominent woman pilot who became involved in an. In april, netflix debuted mercury , a documentary about a trailblazing group of women in the 1960s who could have been the first us female astronauts, if their training program hadnt been cancelled. The aviator became the uss most prominent supporter of woman. True story of the mercury brought to old globe stage kpbs. Jerrie and the mercury were presented honorary doctorates by the university of wisconsin, oshkosh. Jerrie cobb, 88 picture notable people who died in 2019. A small newspaper article buried on page 19 of my local newspaper provided the spark for the mercury. She was also part of the mercury, a group of women who underwent some of the same physiological screening tests as the original mercury seven astronauts as part of a private, nonnasa program. Jerrie cobb helped in the selection, and if it had not been for jerrie, the mercury would have never made it on paper much less into the testing phases. In 1961, just as nasa launched its first man into space, a group of women underwent secret testing in the hopes of becoming americas first female astronauts.
The true story of thirteen women and the dream of space flight 280. Jerrie cobb, decorated pilot once in line to become first. There has been countless newspapers, films, and books made about the mercury, but unfortunately has never found. For readers of the astronaut wives club, the mercury reveals the littleknown true.
Jerrie cobb took her first flight at the age of 12, in the backseat of an opencockpit biplane flown by her father. Cobb stayed in for six hours and showed no signs of hallucination or panic, and two of the mercury who followed improved even upon that marathon of calm in the face of total isolation, putting thereby to a definitive end the myth that women lacked the psychological capacity to deal with the stillness of the cosmic void. Jerrie cobb poses next to a mercury spaceship capsule. Their persistence and passion for the project truly honors the spirit of the splendid women who made up the team of the mercury. Jerrie cobb, pioneering aviator and subject of nowrunning old globe play, has died at 88. The mercury thirteen was a group of thirteen women who passed the physical tests given to candidate astronauts for the mercury project, in some cases surpassing the performance of the mercury seven, but who were debarred from serving as astronauts. The mercury ought to be on the shelf next to the right stuff as a glaring and embarrassing counterpoint to the triumph of the boys club and its fighter jocks. The mercury were thirteen american women who, as part of a privately funded program. She was also part of the mercury, a group of women selected to undergo physiological screening tests at the same time as the original mercury seven astronauts, as part of a private, nonnasa program. 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. Jerrie cobb would have been the first american woman in. Pilot who took a giant leap for womankind in her bid to be americas first female astronaut. The mercury were thirteen american women who, as part of a privately funded program, underwent the same physiological screening tests as the astronauts selected by nasa on april 9, 1959 for project mercury. Jerrie cobb, who began flying when she was so small she had to sit on pillows to see out of the cockpit, dedicated her life to flying solo missions to the amazon rain forest.
Astronaut jerrie cobb the mercury were nasas first women astronauts. Mercury shows one clip from a television interview in the early 1960s that particularly illustrates the opposition the women faced. Americas 1st female astronaut candidate, jerrie cobb. A total of women passed the difficult physical testing and became known as the mercury, a. Lovelace shared his results in conference, believing it may tip the tides for women in spaceflight, and began testing with twelve other women. In the interview cobb is quizzed as to why there is a need. Americas first female astronaut candidate, jerrie cobb. In addition, there have been numerous articles, books, and even. Deep in the amazon jungle, jerrie cobb dances on the wing of her airplane by the light of the moon. These aspiring astronauts were part of the littleknown mercury program.
Cobb, a pioneering female pilot, was a member of the mercury, a. Pilot who took a giant leap for womankind in her bid to. But a new book, the mercury, reveals a secret female astronaut. Netflix doc mercury tells the story of women who should. She does a little jig from the tip of one wing to the other, a few small steps for a.
Cobb was born march 5, 1931, in norman, oklahoma, the second daughter of lt. Hooked on flying, she gained her private pilots license at age 17, her commercial pilots license when she was 18 and flight instructors rating. While still a student at oklahoma city classen high school, she earned a private pilots license at the age of sixteen. Cobb march 5, 1931 march 18, 2019 was an american aviator. The true story of thirteen women and the dream of space flight.
A new netflix documentary tells the stories of these kickass women, and the prejudice they had to endure to pursue their dreams. The true story of thirteen women and the dream of space flight ackmann, martha, sherr, lynn on. Mercury members gene nora jessen, wally funk, jerrie cobb, jerri truhill, sarah ratley, myrtle cagle and bernice steadman gathered to watch the. The in question were a group of experienced female pilots jerrie cobb, janey hart, jan dietrich, marion dietrich, rhea hurrle, irene leverton, bernice steadman, jean hixson, gene nora stumbough, jerri sloan, myrtle cagle. Though she pushed for equality in space, none of the women who ultimately passed the arduous. Jerrie cobb biography, birth date, birth place and pictures. Jerrie cobb was nasas first female astronaut candidate, passing astronaut testing in 1961. Cobb died in florida at age 88 on march 18 following a brief illness. She was also part of the mercury a group of women who underwent some of the same physiological screening tests as the original mercury seven astronauts as. The untold story of thirteen american women and the dream of space flight.
In 2007, jerrie and the mercury were presented honorary degrees of doctor of science by the university of wisconsin, oshkosh. Jerrie cobb jerrie cobb was born on march 05, 1931 89 years old. Woman into space with jane rieker and jerrie cobb, solo pilot. By all measurements, there was no doubt jerrie cobb had the right stuff, that.
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