Limit search to available items
1 result found. sorted by date .
Book Cover
Book
Author Morgan, George D., author

Title Rocket girl : the story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's first female rocket scientist / George D. Morgan

Copies

LOCATION CALL NO. STATUS
 Bangor Pub. Lib. Stacks  B .M82235Mr    AVAILABLE  
 UMA Stacks  TL781.85.M67 M67 2013    AVAILABLE  
Phys Descr 325, 8 unnmbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm
Note Includes bibliographical references and index
Summary "Blending a fascinating personal history with dramatic historical events, this book brings long-overdue attention to a brilliant woman whose work proved essential for America's early space program. This is the extraordinary true story of America's first female rocket scientist. Told by her son, it describes Mary Sherman Morgan's crucial contribution to launching America's first satellite and the author's labyrinthine journey to uncover his mother's lost legacy--one buried deep under a lifetime of secrets political, technological, and personal. In 1938, a young German rocket enthusiast named Wernher von Braun had dreams of building a rocket that could fly him to the moon. In Ray, North Dakota, a young farm girl named Mary Sherman was attending high school. In an age when girls rarely dreamed of a career in science, Mary wanted to be a chemist. A decade later the dreams of these two disparate individuals would coalesce in ways neither could have imagined. World War II and the Cold War space race with the Russians changed the fates of both von Braun and Mary Sherman Morgan. When von Braun and other top engineers could not find a solution to the repeated failures that plagued the nascent US rocket program, North American Aviation, where Sherman Morgan then worked, was given the challenge. Recognizing her talent for chemistry, company management turned the assignment over to young Mary. In the end, America succeeded in launching rockets into space, but only because of the joint efforts of the brilliant farm girl from North Dakota and the famous German scientist. While von Braun went on to become a high-profile figure in NASA's manned space flight, Mary Sherman Morgan and her contributions fell into obscurity--until now."-- Provided by publisher
Subject Morgan, Mary Sherman, 1921-2004
Rocketry -- United States -- Biography
Women scientists -- United States -- Biography
Rocketry -- United States -- History -- 20th century
OCLC # 818738033
ISBN # 9781616147396
1616147393