Background
Heath, Gloria Whitton was born on May 7, 1922 in New York City. Daughter of Royal Vale and Lillian (Hart) Heath.
consultant aerospace scientist
Heath, Gloria Whitton was born on May 7, 1922 in New York City. Daughter of Royal Vale and Lillian (Hart) Heath.
Graduate, The Putney School, 1939; Bachelor of Arts, Smith College, 1943.
Prior to Heath"s presidency, Smith Flying Club members learned about the theory of flying but not its practice. Club members used this plane, which they painted black and christened "The Bird of Paradise," to practice flying at LaFleur Airport in Northampton, Massachusetts. Pilot Heath joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots upon graduating from Smith.
As a WASP, Heath flew B-26 bombers used for target practice at Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana.
After World World War II ended in 1945, the WASPs were dissolved, and Heath began working in the field of aviation safety. In 1947, Heath became the head of the Engineering for Safety Group in the newly formed Flight Safety Foundation.
Heath spent two decades working in flight safety, becoming the assistant director for the Cornell-Guggenheim Safety Center in 1965 and founding her own search and rescue consulting company Sons of the American Revolution-ASSIST in 1968. Heath"s career took a different turn when she was asked to become the chairman of the International Academy of Astronautics Space Safety Committee in 1972.
Heath"s contributions that focused more on earthbound disasters and aiding downed spacecraft ultimately led to both the development of the current satellite-based search and rescue system and the United Nations declaration of an International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.
Lacrosse Heath joined the United States. Women"s Lacrosse Team as a goalie in 1941. After her war service ended, Heath made the United States. Reserve Team in 1949 and 1950 and the United States. first team in 1954. From 1951 to 1954, Heath was the president of the United States Women's Lacrosse Association.
1965: Barbour International Air Safety Award.
Fellow American Institute Aeros and Astronautics (assoc). Member National Pilots Association (national secretary 1966), American Astronaut Society (national secretary 1962-1965, chairman safety technical committee 1969-1977), Aviation Space Writers Association, International Academy Astronautics (member international space rescue, safety and quality studies committee 1968, chairman 1978-1989, co-chairman since 1990, member various committees, editor annual Proceedings of Symposium on Safety and Rescue, Engineering Sciences award 1990, Women in Aerospace (Lifetime Achievment award 1995)International Women Aviation (International Pioneer Hall of Fame 1999, One of 100 Most Influential Women over 100 Year Period 2003).