John E. Pickering

John E. Pickering (27 April 1918 – 19 September 1997) was a pioneer in the field of radiobiology, aviation medicine and space medicine and a Colonel in the United States Air Force. He spent much of his career in the Department of Radiobiology, Air University, School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Pickering was involved with the first tests involving nuclear powered aircraft. Pickering co-wrote President John F. Kennedy’s last official speech before the fateful trip to Dallas, Texas in 1963.

Life and career

John E. Pickering was born in 1918 and died in 1997. He was buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe County, New Mexicoin burial plot: [Section: Y, Row: 0, Site: 288B]. At the time of his death he resided in Tijeras, New Mexico near Albuquerque, New Mexice and was buried on 22 September 1997.

In 1942 Lieutenant Pickering, USAF married Virginia Copeland and the couple had 3 children, Patricia, Peggy and John R. The family were lifelong Methodists and members of the Central United Methodist Church of Albuquerque since 1989 when moved to New Mexico. In 1958 Colonel John E. Pickering, Chief, Department of Radiobiology, was named director of medical research at the U. S. School of Aviation Medicine, San Antonio, Texas. Colonel Pickering, formerly founding member and Director of the Health Physics Society of America, is the author of textbooks entitled "Student Handbook of Weather" and "Air Navigation," and of many scientific papers.[1] After the assignment to the U. S. School of Aviation Medicine in San Antonio, Pickering was assigned to the Office of Manned Space Flight, NASA.

Health Physics Society

Pickering was a founding member and director of the Health Physics Society and represented the U.S. Air Force and aviation medicine.[2][3]

Flashblindness

In the 1950s Pickering was an Air Force researcher with the School of Aviation Medicine and participated as a research subject to study flashblindness in the atomic bomb tests including Operation Plumbbob and Operation Dominic I.[4][5][6]

Nuclear Powered Aircraft

The only US aircraft to carry a nuclear reactor was the NB-36H. The program was canceled in 1958

In 1956 Colonel Pickering was involved with the project to place a nuclear reactor on the Convair NB-36H Crusader and the development of a nuclear powered aircraft.[7]

Awards and Honors

President Kennedy’s Speech, “Cap over the Wall”

On 21 November 1963, Colonel Pickering and Lt. Gen. George Schafer co-wrote the technical portions of John F. Kennedy’s ‘Cap over the Wall’ speech. Kennedy visited Brooks Air Force Base to dedicate the Aerospace Medical Center. This was President Kennedy’s last official act before Dallas.[8][9]

Professional Service

Publications

References

  1. ↑ Government Services, Air Force. JAMA. (1958). 168(14):1915. doi:10.1001/jama.1958.03000140077020
  2. ↑ "News of Science". Science 122 (15 July 1955): 112. 15 July 1955. Bibcode:1955Sci...122..112.. doi:10.1126/science.122.3159.112.
  3. ↑ Reinig, William C. (July/August 1989). C.M. Patterson 1913-1989. HPS Newsletter, XVII(7/8): 19-20.
  4. ↑ Colonel John Pickering; interview by John Harbert and Gil Whittemore (ACHRE), transcript of audio recording, (2 November 1994). (ACHRE Research Project Series, Interview Program File, Targeted Interview Project), 55. DOD.
  5. ↑ Defense Atomic Support Agency, (15 August 1962). “Operation Plumbbob: Technical Summary of Military Effects, Programs 1-9″. (ACHRE No. DOD-100794-A), 137.
  6. ↑ Defense Nuclear Agency, 1962 (“Operation Dominic I: Report of DOD Participation”) (ACHRE No. DOE-082294-A).
  7. ↑ Pickering, J. E., Brown, D. V. L., Payne, R. B., & Vogel, F. S. (1955). Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Biomedical Research Program (No. 3). Report.
  8. ↑ Brooks marks JFK's 40th anniversary visit. http://www.af.mil/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/Print.aspx?PortalId=1&ModuleId=850&Article=138100
  9. ↑ Remarks at Aero-Space Medical Health Center dedication, San Antonio, Texas, 21 November 1963. http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-048-017.aspx
  10. ↑ Pickering, J. E., Brown, D. V. L., Payne, R. B., & Vogel, F. S. (1955). Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Biomedical Research Program (No. 3). Report.
  11. ↑ Gerstner, H. B., Pickering, J. E., & Dugi, A. J. (1955). Sequelae after application of high-intensity X-radiation to the head of rabbits. Radiation research, 2(3), 219-226.
  12. ↑ BROWN, D. V., CIBIS, P. A., & PICKERING, J. E. (1955). Radiation Studies on the Monkey Eye: I. Effects of Gamma Radiation on the Retina. AMA archives of ophthalmology, 54(2): 249-256.
  13. ↑ Vogel, F. S., & Pickering, J. E. (1956). DEMYELINIZATION INDUCED IN THE BRAINS OF MONKEYS BY MEANS OF FAST NEUTRONS PATHOGENESIS OF THE LESION AND COMPARISON WITH THE LESIONS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND SCHILDER'S DISEASE. The Journal of experimental medicine, 104(3), 435-442.
  14. ↑ Phillips M. Brooks, Everett O. Richey, and John E. Pickering (April 1957). Prompt Pulmonary Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption Changes in Rhesus Monkeys Associated with Whole-Body Gamma-Irradiation. Radiation Research: Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 430-449.
  15. ↑ Kent, S. P., & Pickering, J. E. (1958). Neoplasms in monkeys (Macaca mulatta): spontaneous and irradiation induced. Cancer, 11(1), 138-147.
  16. ↑ HAYMAKER, W., LAQUEUR, G., Nauta, W. J. H., PICKERING, J. E., SLOPER, J. C., & VOGEL, F. S. (1958). THE EFFECTS OF BARIUM140-LANTHANUM146 (GAMMA) RADIATION ON THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND PITUITARY GLAND OF MACAQUE MONKEYS A STUDY OF 67 BRAINS AND SPINAL CORDS AND 77 PITUITARY GLANDS. Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, 17(1), 12-57.
  17. ↑ Pickering, J. E., & BROWN, D. (1959). Nuclear propulsion: cataractogenic effects from fast neutrons. Texas state journal of medicine, 55(4), 264.
  18. ↑ Pickering, J. E., Langham, W. H., & Rambach, W. A. (1960). The effects from massive doses of high dose rate gamma radiation on monkeys (No. AF-SAM-60-57). School of Aviation Medicine, Aerospace Medical Center, Brooks AFB, Texas.
  19. ↑ Zellmer, R. W., & Pickering, J. E. (1960). Biologic effects of nuclear radiation in primates (No. AF-SAM-60-66). School of Aviation Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas.
  20. ↑ Pickering, J. E., Allen Jr, R. G., & Ritter, O. L. (1961). Problems in Shielding. Medical and Biological Aspects of Energies of Space, p 38l. Ed by Paul A. Campbell.
  21. ↑ Pickering, J. E. (1963). BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF WHOLE-BODY PROTON IRRADIATION. Aerospace medicine, 34, 942.
  22. ↑ Zellmer, R., Culver, J., & Pickering, J. E. (1967). Proton-Irradiation Effects in Primates. Radiation Research Supplement, 325-329.
  23. ↑ Pickering, John E. (February 1970). Radiobiological Concepts for Manned Space Missions. Aerospace Medicine. 41(2): 159-165.
  24. ↑ Lett, J. T., Cox, A. B., Bergtold, D. S., Lee, A. C., & Pickering, J. E. (1984). Late effects from particulate radiations in primate and rabbit tissues. Advances in Space Research, 4(10), 251-256.
  25. ↑ Wood, D. H., Pickering, J. E., Yochmowitz, M. G., Hardy, K. A., & Salmon, Y. L. (1988). Radiation risk assessment for military space crews. Military medicine, 153(6), 298.
  26. ↑ Pickering, John E. BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF NUCLEAR PROPULSION. USAF, RCC!.960206.006. p. 1-14/