Gloria Chisum facts for kids

Gloria Twine Chisum (born in 1930 in Muskogee, Oklahoma) is a famous scientist. She is an experimental psychologist. This means she studies how people think and behave, often through experiments. She became a leader in many groups, including the American Psychological Association. Gloria Chisum was an expert in eye problems that pilots might have, especially in fast planes. She created special glasses to keep pilots' eyes safe in tough situations. This included protecting them from bright flashes or during sharp turns.

Gloria Chisum's Education Journey

Gloria Chisum studied psychology at Howard University. She earned her first degree (BS) in 1951. Then, she got her master's degree (MS) in 1953. While at Howard, she joined a sorority called Alpha Kappa Alpha. She was also part of the Howard University Players, which was a student drama group. In 1960, she earned her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Her PhD paper was about how people learn and understand patterns.

Gloria Chisum's Career and Research

From 1958 to 1968, Gloria Chisum taught psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. At the same time, she also did important research. From 1960 to 1965, she worked as a psychology researcher at the Naval Air Development Center. This center helps develop new technologies for the Navy.

Leading Vision Research

Gloria Chisum became the head of the Vision Laboratory in 1965. She led this team until 1980. After that, she became the head of the Environmental Physiology Research Team. This team studied how different environments affect the human body. She also served on the boards of many important organizations. These included the Aerospace Medical Association and the American Psychological Association.

Protecting Pilots' Eyes

Her research led to big improvements in eye protection for pilots. She focused on creating special goggles. These goggles helped pilots deal with extreme conditions during flight. For example, they helped prevent vision loss during sharp turns. They also protected pilots from sudden, very bright flashes of light. These flashes could come from lightning or even nuclear explosions. She shared her work at a NATO conference.

Gloria Chisum also wrote books about her research. In 1975, she wrote about testing night vision goggles for the military. In 1978, she wrote another book about laser eye protection for people who fly planes.

Gloria Chisum made history at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the first African-American woman to join their Board of Trustees. This board helps guide the university.

Gloria Chisum's Personal Life

Gloria Chisum married Melvin J. "Jack" Chisum in her hometown of Muskogee, Oklahoma. This was on September 10, 1955. Melvin Chisum passed away on October 22, 2014. Both Gloria and Melvin were leaders of the University of Pennsylvania's Harrison Society. The town of Twine, Oklahoma, is named after Gloria Chisum's grandfather.

Honors and Awards

Gloria Chisum has received many awards for her important work:

• She received the Raymond F. Longacre Award from the Aerospace Medical Association in 1979.
• She earned the Alumni Award of Merit from the University of Pennsylvania.
• She was added to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1984.