Jerry C. Elliott facts for kids

Jerry Chris Elliott High Eagle, born in 1943, is a brilliant physicist. He was one of the very first Native Americans to work at NASA, the United States' space agency. His amazing work earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest award a civilian can receive from the U.S. President.

Jerry Elliott's Early Life and Dreams

From the young age of five, Jerry Elliott High Eagle had a big dream. He wanted to help astronauts travel to the Moon. Even though some family and community members supported him, he faced challenges because of his race.

After finishing high school at Northwest Classen High School, he was accepted into the University of Oklahoma when he was 18. During his time at university, he experienced "culture shock." This means he felt out of place and faced disrespect because he was Native American. Some of his professors treated him unfairly. He couldn't continue his studies after college because his stepfather passed away and he didn't have enough money.

In April 1966, he earned a degree in physics with a minor in mathematics. He was the first Native American to get a physics degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Jerry Elliott's Career at NASA

Jerry Elliott started his exciting space career early in the Gemini Program. He joined NASA in April 1966. He worked as a flight mission operations engineer at the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas. Later, he became a Program Staff Engineer at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. This was during the Apollo–Soyuz Program.

He also served as a Senior Technical Manager for the Space Station's Program Office. Jerry Elliott and his team helped provide important equipment for Skylab. Skylab was the United States' first space station.

Improving Communication for Native American Communities

While at NASA, Jerry Elliott worked hard to improve telecommunications. He wanted to connect Native American reservations better. He helped create the American Indian Telecommunications Satellite Demonstration Project. This project linked the All-Indian Pueblo Council and the Crow Indian Reservation with the U.S. government in Washington, D.C. He spoke to the Congress about this. His efforts led to the creation of the First Americans Commission for Telecommunications (FACT).

His Role in the Apollo Program

During the Apollo program, Jerry Elliott held several important leadership roles. He was the only Native American on the mission control team. He was part of the team during Apollo 11's successful Moon landing.

Jerry Elliott played a key role in the Apollo 13 mission. He helped calculate the path for the spacecraft to return safely to Earth. His quick thinking and hard work during this emergency saved the lives of the three astronauts. For his heroic efforts, President Richard Nixon awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

After achieving his childhood dream of landing people on the Moon, Jerry Elliott continued to work at NASA for 40 years. Some of his personal papers from the Apollo era are kept at the Oklahoma History Center.

Jerry Elliott's Personal Life and Contributions

Jerry Elliott is fluent in English. He also knows Russian, Spanish, and the Osage languages well. Native elders gave him the name "High Eagle" when he turned 41. He says his mother and Albert Einstein are his personal heroes.

He enjoys playing the guitar and the Indian flute. His musical talent led him to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. He also appeared in the film Houston, We've Got a Problem, playing himself. He was also on the television show Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 1977, he helped start the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Inc. He founded it with George Thomas (Cherokee) and Alex Labadie (Osage). This society works to get more Native Americans involved in science. He is also the founder and CEO of High Eagle Technologies, Inc. This company focuses on cancer research and treatment using technology he patented in 2019.

Mr. Elliott wrote the Congressional law for Native American Awareness Week in 1976. This was the first time in U.S. history that a week was set aside to honor American Indians. The U.S. Congress passed the law, and President Gerald R. Ford signed it.

Awards and Recognition for Jerry Elliott

Jerry Elliott has received many important awards and honors for his work and contributions:

• Cherokee Medal of Honor
• Navajo Medal of Honor
• Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Medal of Honor Award, from The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, for high ethical conduct and contributions to humanity, 1991.
• State of Tennessee Special Proclamation by Governor and Tennessee Legislature honoring his achievements in science, music and contributions to humanity, February 7, 2007.
• Ely Samuel Parker Award, the highest honor from the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES), Inc., for lifetime career achievements and community service.
• Bausch and Lomb National Science Award.
• Science and Engineering National Achievement Award, presented by the American Indian Art and Cultural Exchange, 1976.
• National Chairperson, Native American Awareness Week, October 10-16, 1976. He wrote the congressional law signed by President Gerald R. Ford.
• Bronze Halo Award by the Southern California Motion Picture Council for outstanding contributions to humanity, 1983.
• Special Achievement Award by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lewis Research Center (now Glenn Research Center), Cleveland, Ohio, for his achievements and contributions to space and technology programs. 1978.
• Group Achievement Award by NASA Langley Research Center, 1981.
• National Science Spectrum Trailblazer Award, 2006, for his significant impact on industry and communities.
• Sequoyah Fellow Honor, American Indian Science & Engineering Society, 2003.
• Teacher Award, presented by the American Indian Science & Engineering Society, Inc., 2004.
• Science Spectrum Trailblazers Award, presented by Science Spectrum Magazine, 2006.
• Oklahoma 2011 Indian Elder Distinguished Honoree, from the American Assoc. of Retired, for outstanding achievements and contributions to his tribe, community and state, 2011.
• Poet Laurette, Nominated for distinction of State of Oklahoma, Poet Laurette, 2017.
• NWC Hall of Fame, inducted November 1, 2019, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2019.
• Nominated for the Technical Excellence Award, American Indian Science & Engineering Society, Inc., 2020.