Number of results to display per page
Search Results
Harry A. Cronk collection, 1957-1990 3.6 Linear Feet 4 boxes
- Creator
- Cronk, Harry A.
- Abstract Or Scope
-
The Harry A. Cronk collection, 1957-1990 primarily documents Cronk's career with Pan American World Airways, or Pan Am, and NASA, supporting national defense and manned spaceflight during the height of the space race between 1950 and 1970. Materials consist of certificates, ephemera, photographs, publications, reports, and a hard hat. This collection is useful to historical research into Harry Cronk, Pan Am, and NASA projects. Harry Alden Cronk was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1922 and died in Merritt Island, Florida in 2004. He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, earned a mechanical engineering degree from Georgia Tech, and served in the Army Corps of Engineers. In 1950, Cronk married Mary Jane Brewer and worked for Bendix in a defense contractor position. In 1957, he began to work for Armco steel before moving to Merritt Island, Florida, accepting a job with Pan American World Airways in 1960. Cronk became Chief Staff Engineer in 1962. Pan Am, and Cronk, directly supported the Apollo 11 mission that achieved the moon landing on July 20th, 1969. He also contributed to the Skylab missions and the first international manned space mission in 1975. He retired from Johnson Controls in 1990. He later passed away in 2004.
- Collection Context
Henry Okraski Modeling and Simulation collection, 1948-2019, bulk 1961-2007 3.5 Linear Feet 4 boxes
- Creator
- Okraski, Henry C. (Henry Carl), 1936-
- Abstract Or Scope
-
The Henry Okraski collection on modeling and simulation, 1948-2019 (bulk 1961-2007), documents the history of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division and the history of the modeling and simulation field. The collection consists of correspondence, informational and instruction booklets, technical and progress reports, pamphlets, programs, newspaper clippings, articles, overhead projector transparencies, 35 mm projector slides, and a CD. The overhead projector transparencies cover a wide variety of simulation and modeling topics such as advancements made in the field, benefits of use, and graphics of how the simulators work. The 35 mm projector slides contain images of simulators and the machines in use. The photographs contain images of early flight simulators in use. The collection also includes materials related to Henry "Hank" Okraski's professional life and achievements, and a small number of biographical materials related to Luis De Florez, an influential figure in the modeling and simulation industry. Henry "Hank" Carl Okraski was born on January 2, 1936 in Utica, New York to Andrew and Helen Okraski. In 1958, Okraski graduated from Clarkson University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He later received a master's degree in engineering from the University of Florida. After graduating from Clarkson University, Okraski joined Link Aviation in Binghampton, New York, where he worked as a field engineer. In 1962, Okraski joined the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (then known as the Naval Training Device Center) in Port Washington, New York, working as a GS-11 electrical engineer specializing in field support for naval aviation simulators. Okraski moved up in ranks, becoming the Senior Executive Service as Director of Research and Engineering, Deputy Technical Director, and Chief Scientist. During this time, he also served on multiple NATO study groups. In 1994, Okraski retired from government service. Post-retirement, he served as a chairman of the board for the National Center for Simulations, which he co-founded, from 1993 to 2003. He was also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Central Florida, where he assisted with developing simulation academic programs, and at Rollins College.
- Collection Context
Scott H. Simpkinson collection, 1943-1989 12.8 Linear Feet 14 boxes
- Creator
- Simpkinson, Scott H., 1919-1996
- Abstract Or Scope
-
The Scott H. Simpkinson collection, 1943-1989 contains the materials Simpkinson collected during his tenure as an engineer for NASA. Materials are largely produced by NASA, and include information about the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Viking missions, as well as the Space Shuttle program. The collection also includes materials produced by outside engineering firms and Simpkinson's personal effects. These materials consist of reports, publications, photographs, and objects. This collection provides insight into the early days of NASA, key missions, and the career of Scott Simpkinson. Scott H. Simpkinson was born on August 24, 1919, in Piqua, Ohio. Simpkinson graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1943 and was subsequently employed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), then the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), as an engineer from the 1950s until his retirement in the early 1980s. Simpkinson worked on the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Viking missions, as well as the Space Shuttle. Scott Simpkinson died on August 8, 1996.
- Collection Context