Meredith Gourdine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meredith Gourdine
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Meredith Gourdine
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| Born | September 26, 1929 |
| Died | November 20, 1998 (aged 69) |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn Technical High School B.S. Cornell University Ph.D. Caltech |
| Known for | Electrogasdynamics |
| Olympic medal record | ||
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Representing  United States |
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| Silver | 1952 Helsinki | Long jump |
Meredith Charles "Flash" Gourdine was an amazing American. Born on September 26, 1929, he was a talented athlete, a smart engineer, and a brilliant physicist. He held 70 patents for his inventions, many of which helped manage heat and turn gas into electricity. He passed away on November 20, 1998.
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Early Life
Meredith Gourdine was born in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His father worked as a painter and a janitor. Meredith went to Brooklyn Tech High School. After school, he often worked with his father, painting for eight hours a day.
His father always told him how important it was to study. Meredith remembered his father saying, "If you don't want to be a laborer all your life, stay in school." This advice really stuck with him.
Education and Sports
Meredith graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. He didn't start running track until his last year of high school. He never won a race there, but he was a good swimmer. His swimming skills even earned him a scholarship offer from the University of Michigan.
However, Meredith chose to go to Cornell University instead. He paid his own tuition fees for the first few years. At Cornell, his sports career really took off. He competed in sprints, low hurdles, and the long jump.
College Achievements
Meredith won five titles in the Heptagonal Games. He also won four titles in the championships of the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America. In 1952, he helped his Cornell team finish second in the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships.
After earning his bachelor's degree in engineering in 1952, Gourdine became an officer in the United States Navy. Later, in 1960, he received a special scholarship called a Guggenheim fellowship. This allowed him to earn his doctorate degree in engineering science from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics, from Cornell University in 1953. While there, he was chosen to be part of a special group called the Quill and Dagger society. From 1958 to 1960, he worked as a Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During this time, he also earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Physics from Caltech in 1960.
Amazing Inventions
In 1964, Meredith Gourdine started his own research and development company. It was called Gourdine Systems and was located in Livingston, New Jersey. He borrowed $200,000 from friends to get it started. In 1973, he started another company called Energy Innovations in Houston, Texas. This company made devices that could change energy directly.
His companies created new engineering methods. These methods helped remove smoke from buildings. They also helped clear fog from airport runways. Another big project was turning low-quality coal into cheap, easy-to-move, high-voltage electrical energy.
What is Electrogasdynamics?
Meredith Gourdine was an expert in something called Electrogasdynamics. This is a way of creating electricity. It works by using the energy from a fast-moving, hot, charged gas. Think of it like a very strong wind that has electricity in it.
Cool Inventions
He specialized in finding ways to use this technology in real life. For example, he invented electric systems that could clean the air. He also invented the Focus Flow Heat Sink. This device is used to cool down computer chips, stopping them from getting too hot.
Meredith Gourdine was given a total of 27 U.S. patents between 1971 and 1996. A patent means he officially owned the rights to his inventions. In 1991, he was chosen to join the National Academy of Engineering. He also helped lead Cornell University as a Trustee. In 1994, he was honored by being added to the Dayton, Ohio, Engineering and Science Hall of Fame.
Olympic Athlete
While he was still a student at Cornell, Meredith Gourdine competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won a silver medal for the long jump! He jumped almost as far as the gold medalist, Jerome Biffle. He was only one and a half inches short of the gold.
Years later, he said, "I would have rather lost by a foot." He even joked, "I still have nightmares about it." This shows how much he wanted to win that gold medal.
Family Life
Meredith Gourdine was married two times. From his first marriage, he had three daughters named Teri Bruce, Traci, and Tony. He later married Carolina Baling. Together, they had a son.
Later Years
Meredith Gourdine passed away on November 20, 1998, in Houston, Texas. He was 69 years old. In his later years, he had diabetes. He also lost his vision and one leg. He died from health problems caused by several strokes.
See also
In Spanish: Meredith Gourdine para niños
