White, Edward Higgins, II, 1930-1967

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Edward Higgins White II (November 14, 1930 – January 27, 1967) was an American aeronautical engineer, United States Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. He was a member of the crews of Gemini 4 and Apollo 1.

After graduating from West Point in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree, White was sent to flight training, and assigned to the 22nd Fighter Day Squadron at Bitburg Air Base, West Germany, where he flew the F-86 Sabre and F-100 Super Sabre fighters. In 1958, he enrolled in the University of Michigan to study aeronautical engineering. White then received test pilot training at Edwards Air Force Base, California, before being assigned as a test pilot for the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

White was selected as one of the second group of astronauts, the so-called "Next Nine", who were chosen to take part in the Gemini and Apollo missions. He was assigned as pilot of Gemini 4 alongside command pilot James McDivitt. On June 3, 1965, White became the first American to walk in space. He was then assigned as senior pilot of the first crewed Apollo mission, Apollo 1. White died on January 27, 1967, alongside astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee in a fire during pre-launch testing for Apollo 1 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. He was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his flight in Gemini 4 and was then awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf White, Edward Higgins, 1930-1967. Memorabilia. United States Military Academy, USMA Library
referencedIn Biography -- White, Ed. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (June 23) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (Mar. 16) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (June 6) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations, 1900 - 2003. Official Military Personnel Files, 1947 - 1998. National Archives at St. Louis
referencedIn White House Central Files (Johnson Administration). 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969. White House Subject Files on the President Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
referencedIn Fox Movietone News Collection. 1957 - 1963. Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 1957 - 1963. Movietone News, Vol. 42, No. 49 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Gus Grissom collection [graphic], 1960-1967. Indiana Historical Society Library
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (June 6) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (Feb. 3) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (June 20) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006. Kennedy Space Center Central Photographic Files, 1958 - 12/1995. Portrait - Astronaut Edward H. White, 1962. National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (Mar. 16) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. 1860 - 1985. Historical Films. 1914 - 1936. CABINET MEMBERS AND PROMINENT PERSONS OF THE PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE ADMINISTRATION National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Color Photograph File Albums, 1963 - 1995 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Alumni Association (University of Michigan), Individual Photographs, ca. 1880-ca. 1960s Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (Jan. 30) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Chaffee, Roger Bruce, 1935-1967. Papers, records, photographs and artifacts 1935-1967. Grand Rapids Public Library
referencedIn Materials Relating to "President Johnson Awards NASA Distinguished Service Medals to Astronauts McDivitt and White" Project, ca. 6/17/1965 - ca. 6/17/1965 Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
referencedIn GEMINI SPACECRAFT 4 SPACE WALK National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (Jan. 2) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Light, Michael. Project Full moon photographs. Getty Research Institute
referencedIn Photographs of Exhibits at Trade Fairs, 1963 - 1973 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (June 16) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Hearst Metrotone News, Inc., Collection. 1937 - 1942. News of the Day Motion Picture Newsreel Films. 10/1963 - 12/1967. News of the Day (Jan. 20) National Archives at College Park
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006. Source Files on Project Gemini, 1961 - 1974. Photograph 1 of Astronaut Edward H. White II's Space Walk on Gemini IV. National Archives at Fort Worth
referencedIn Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006. Source Files on Project Gemini, 1961 - 1974. Photograph 2 of Astronaut Edward H. White II's Space Walk on Gemini IV. National Archives at Fort Worth
referencedIn Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007. Award Cards, 1942 - 1963. Air Force Award Cards [Commendation Medal]: Wells, Alvin - Wilfong, Charles. National Archives at St. Louis
referencedIn Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006. Source Files on Project Gemini, 1961 - 1974. Photograph 4 of Astronaut Edward H. White II's Space Walk on Gemini IV. National Archives at Fort Worth
Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006. Source Files on Project Gemini, 1961 - 1974. Photograph 3 of Astronaut Edward H. White II's Space Walk on Gemini IV. National Archives at Fort Worth
referencedIn Official Military Personnel Files for Persons of Exceptional Prominence (PEP) list via the National Archives website, viewed November 2, 2021 National Archives at St. Louis
referencedIn Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006. Black and White Photograph Files, 1965 - 1991. Photograph of Germini 4 Astronauts, 5/7/1965. National Archives at College Park
Relation Name
associatedWith Chaffee, Roger Bruce, 1935-1967. person
memberOf Gemini IV (Spacecraft) corporateBody
associatedWith Grissom, Virgil I. (Virgil Ivan), 1926-1967 person
associatedWith Light, Michael. person
memberOf United States. Air Force corporateBody
associatedWith United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration corporateBody
associatedWith University of Michigan. Alumni Association. corporateBody
childOf White, Edward Higgins, 1901-1978. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
San Antonio TX US
Florida FL US
Subject
Apollo flights
Apollo project:
Gemini Project (U.S.)
Space Exploration
Occupation
Aeronautical Engineer
Airforce officers
Airforce personnel
Astronauts
Activity

Person

Birth 1930-11-14

Death 1967-01-27

Male

Americans

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 83673678