Edward Givens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Edward Galen Givens Jr. (1930-01-05)January 5, 1930 Quanah, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 1967(1967-06-06) (aged 37) |
| Education | Texas A&M University University of Oklahoma United States Naval Academy (BS) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Major,USAF |
| Selection | NASA Group 5 (1966) |
Edward Galen Givens Jr. (January 5, 1930 – June 6, 1967) was aUnited States Air Force officer,test pilot, andNASAastronaut. Selected by NASA in 1966 as a member ofthe fifth astronaut group, he died in an automobile accident before being assigned to a prime or backup spaceflight crew.
Givens was born on January 5, 1930, inQuanah, Texas, to Edward Galen Givens Sr. (1904–1990) and Mary Helen Givens (née Jarrell; 1909–2002). He had one younger brother, Donald Jarrell Givens (1932–1952), who died in aConsolidated P4Y-2 Privateer crash inCorpus Christi, Texas.
As a child, his family called him Young Galen Givens. He took on extra courses when he was in high school, which allowed him to finish a year early. He worked in a grocery store and spent time cleaning cars to earn money for flying lessons and would hitchhike toChildress Municipal Airport to take them. His parents said he "never had an interest in anything but aviation". Givens earned hispilot's license in early 1946, and then performed a solo flight the day after he turned 16 in aPiper Cub. He graduated fromQuanah High School in 1946.[1] Givens was active in theBoy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank,Life Scout.[2]
He attendedTexas A&M University for a semester and theUniversity of Oklahoma for three semesters. He graduated in 1952, as an outstanding student, with aBachelor of Science degree in Naval Sciences from theUnited States Naval Academy. During his time at the academy, Givens (or "Give", as he was known there), studied academics, undertook flight training, and played varsitylacrosse.[3]
Givens and his wife Ada had three children: Catherine H. (born in 1963), Edward G. (born in 1964), and Diane (born in 1967).[4]
Givens was commissioned in the Air Force as asecond lieutenant upon graduating from Annapolis in 1952, and received his flight training as a student pilot at theUnited States Air ForceAir Training Command. On August 18, he flew theT-6 Texan—the first advanced trainer he flew with the air force—and continued to fly the plane almost every day. Givens was awarded his wings on February 4, 1953, as one of the top students. As such, he could choose the branch of the air force where he wanted to serve and chose fighter training atWilliams Air Force Base inChandler, Arizona. The group commander was known to be tough on his students, and Givens chose this location so he could be formed into a great fighter pilot.[5]
He started flying theT-28 Trojan at his new assignment, and learned fighter tactics, formation flying, and someaerobatics. Starting on June 3, he flew the two-seaterT-33. On October 2, he moved from Chandler toPerrin Air Force Base, inSherman, Texas, where he continued flying the T-33. In addition to training with the T-33, he began flying theF-86D, an all-weather, single-seat fighter jet with an all-rocket armament, and achievedsupersonic speed for the first time while flying it. In 1954, he was promoted tofirst lieutenant, and was assigned duty in Japan as a flight commander andfighter pilot with the35th Fighter-Interceptor Group until 1956.[6]
He served as aninstructor at the Air Force Interceptor Weapons School from January 1956 to March 1958 and then attended theUSAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School atEdwards Air Force Base, California as acaptain. Graduating as an outstanding graduate (Class 58B), he became an instructor in the Stability and Control Section.[7]
His next assignment took him to theNaval Air Station Point Mugu,California, where he was a project pilot with Air Development Squadron 4. While there, he not only conducted operational evaluations, but was responsible for compiling and developing the operation procedures and tactics for fleet operation of theF8U-2N—a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based jet aircraft.[7]
He served as Assistant to the Commandant at the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School from November 1961 to September 1962 and then attended theAerospace Research Pilot School (Class III), from which he graduated in 1963. When informed of his selection for astronaut training in 1966, he was assigned as Project Officer with USAF SSD Detachment 2 at theManned Spacecraft Center inHouston,Texas.[7]
He logged more than 3,500 hours flight time; 2,800 hours injet aircraft.[7]
Givens was aProject Mercury finalist in 1959,[8] and was one of nineteen astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966 for itsfifth astronaut group.[9] After completing basic astronaut training, he was assigned to theApollo program, and briefly served on the support crew for the first crewed mission,Apollo 1, and then, after the fire, ofApollo 7.[10]
On June 6, 1967, Givens was driving hisVolkswagen home from a meeting of theQuiet Birdmen fraternal organization, with two other officers, when he missed a sharp, unmarked turn and crashed into a ditch inPearland, Texas, near the Manned Spacecraft Center. Givens died on the way to the hospital. The two other passengers were injured. At the time of his death, Givens held the rank ofmajor. He was buried at Quanah Memorial Park in his hometown. He was survived by his wife Ada and their three children[11]
I'm not a hero. I've just got a job to do, and I try to do it to the best of my ability. This is the pinnacle of my career—it's probably the most interesting and challenging job that I can conceive of. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
— Givens, when asked if he saw himself as a modern-day hero.[12]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
