Jerry C. Elliott facts for kids

Jerry Chris Elliott High Eagle, born in 1943, is a talented 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 get from the U.S. President.

Jerry Elliott's Early Life

From the young age of five, Jerry Elliott High Eagle dreamed of helping astronauts reach the Moon. Some people in his family and community supported his dream. However, he also 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 college, he experienced what is called "culture shock." He faced disrespect and misunderstandings 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 person to get a physics degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Working at NASA

Jerry Elliott began his career in space exploration during 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 worked as a Senior Technical Manager for the Space Station's Program Office. Jerry Elliott and his team helped provide equipment for Skylab, which was the first space station for the United States.

Connecting Native American Communities

While at NASA, Jerry Elliott worked hard to improve phone and internet connections for Native American reservations. He started the American Indian Telecommunications Satellite Demonstration Project. This project connected the All-Indian Pueblo Council and the Crow Indian Reservation with the government in Washington, D.C. He spoke to the U.S. Congress about this important issue. His efforts led to the creation of the First Americans Commission for Telecommunications (FACT).

Apollo Missions and Heroic Actions

During the Apollo program, Jerry Elliott held several important leadership roles. He was the only Native American person on the mission control team. He was part of the team that helped Apollo 11 successfully land on the Moon.

Jerry Elliott played a key role in the Apollo 13 mission. When the astronauts faced a dangerous situation, he helped figure out how to get them safely back to Earth. Because of his efforts, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon. This award recognized his part in saving the lives of the three astronauts.

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

Jerry Elliott speaks English fluently. He also knows some Russian, Spanish, and Osage languages. When he turned 41, Native American elders gave him the name "High Eagle." He looks up to his mother and Albert Einstein as his 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 even had a role on the TV show Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 1977, he helped start the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). He founded it with George Thomas (Cherokee) and Alex Labadie (Osage). This group works to encourage more Native Americans to get involved in science. Jerry Elliott 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 also wrote the 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

Jerry Elliott has received many awards for his important 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 (1991)
• State of Tennessee Special Proclamation by Governor and Tennessee Legislature (2007)
• Ely Samuel Parker Award, the highest honor from the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES)
• Bausch and Lomb National Science Award
• Science and Engineering National Achievement Award (1976)
• National Chairperson, Native American Awareness Week (1976)
• Bronze Halo Award by the Southern California Motion Picture Council (1983)
• Special Achievement Award by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lewis Research Center (1978)
• Group Achievement Award by NASA Langley Research Center (1981)
• National Science Spectrum Trailblazer Award (2006)
• Sequoyah Fellow Honor, American Indian Science & Engineering Society (2003)
• Teacher Award, American Indian Science & Engineering Society, Inc. (2004)
• Science Spectrum Trailblazers Award, Science Spectrum Magazine (2006)
• Oklahoma 2011 Indian Elder Distinguished Honoree (2011)
• Nominated for distinction of State of Oklahoma, Poet Laurette (2017)
• NWC Hall of Fame inductee (2019)
• Nominated for the Technical Excellence Award, American Indian Science & Engineering Society, Inc. (2020)