Mary Sherman Morgan
Encyclopedia
Mary Sherman Morgan was a U.S. rocket fuel
scientist credited with the invention of the liquid fuel Hydyne
in 1957, which allowed the United States to redeem its technological reputation after an earlier disastrous, and highly publicized, satellite launch attempt failure
. Three months earlier, the Soviet Union
had launched Sputnik 1
, the world's first artificial satellite
, into Earth orbit.
The successful launch of the rocket fueled by Morgan's creation carried the United States' first satellite, Explorer 1, into orbit, thus allowing the country to enter into an unofficial Space Race
with the Soviet Union, as part of the Cold War
.
.
When she was old enough to attend school, her father refused to enroll her, reasoning that he needed her help on the farm. In addition, a river divided their farm from the schoolhouse, which he claimed was too dangerous for her to cross. Eventually the State of North Dakota intervened and gave her a horse, which she rode across the river to get to school each morning. More than two years behind the other students, Sherman quickly caught up academically to her peers, and then surpassed them. In 1939 she graduated as her high school’s valedictorian
.
Sherman had dreamed of attending college—a goal few young people in Ray, North Dakota achieved. For several years she had contemplated a career as a chemist. With Ray’s grade school teacher retiring, many people pressured her to forgo college, and take the job as Ray’s new school teacher. On the night of her graduation, she ran away from home, catching a bus to Minot. The next day she enrolled at North Dakota's Minot State University as a chemistry
major.
had broken out. Sherman, who had become pregnant, decided to move to Ohio and move in temporarily with an aunt. After giving birth to a daughter, she gave the child up for adoption to her cousin Mary Hibbard and her husband, who had one child of their own and had been unable to have any more.
As a result of the war, the United States soon developed a shortage of chemists and other scientists. A local employment recruiter heard that Sherman had some experience with chemistry, and offered her a job at a local factory in Cleveland. He would not tell her what product the factory made, or what her job would be—only that she would be required to obtain a 'top secret' security clearance. Short on money, she decided to take the job even though it would mean having to postpone her college education.
After spending the war years designing explosives for the military, she applied for a job at North American Aviation
, and was employed in their Rocketdyne Division, in Canoga Park, California. Soon after being hired, she was promoted to Theoretical Performance Specialist, a job that required her to mathematically calculate the expected performance of new rocket propellants. Out of nine hundred engineers, she was the only woman, and one of the few without a college degree.
While working at North American Aviation, she met her future husband, George Richard Morgan, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Caltech. Together they had four children—George, Stephen, Monica and Karen.
. In this endeavor the United States effort was called Project Vanguard. The Soviet Union successfully launched the Sputnik
satellite on October 4, 1957, an event followed soon after by a very public and disastrous explosion of a Vanguard rocket. Public pressure forced U.S. politicians to allow a former German rocket scientist, Wernher von Braun
, to prepare his Redstone
/Jupiter C rocket for an orbital flight. When von Braun’s team members discovered that their rocket would not be powerful enough to reach orbit, they awarded a contract to North American Aviation's Rocketdyne Division to come up with a more powerful fuel.
Due to her expertise and experience with new and exotic rocket propellants, Mary Sherman Morgan was placed in charge of the contract. The result was a new invention, Hydyne
, a propellant that succeeded in launching America’s first satellite, Explorer I
, into orbit on January 31, 1958.
Despite its importance at the time, Hydyne was never again used in a U.S. rocket.
. She played in numerous tournaments during her lifetime, winning many. So obsessed was she about the game that shortly before her death she said, “My only regret in life is that I didn’t play more bridge.”
Mary Sherman Morgan died on August 4, 2004, as a result of complications related to emphysema.
Rocket propellant
Rocket propellant is mass that is stored in some form of propellant tank, prior to being used as the propulsive mass that is ejected from a rocket engine in the form of a fluid jet to produce thrust. A fuel propellant is often burned with an oxidizer propellant to produce large volumes of very hot...
scientist credited with the invention of the liquid fuel Hydyne
Hydyne
Hydyne, also unofficially known as Bagel fuel, is a mixture of 60% unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and 40% diethylenetriamine , developed in 1957 at Rocketdyne for use in liquid-fuel rockets....
in 1957, which allowed the United States to redeem its technological reputation after an earlier disastrous, and highly publicized, satellite launch attempt failure
Vanguard TV3
Vanguard TV3 was the first attempt of the United States to launch a satellite into orbit around the Earth. It was a small satellite designed to test the launch capabilities of the three-stage Vanguard rocket and study the effects of the environment on a satellite and its systems in Earth orbit...
. Three months earlier, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
had launched Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 ) was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1s success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space...
, the world's first artificial satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
, into Earth orbit.
The successful launch of the rocket fueled by Morgan's creation carried the United States' first satellite, Explorer 1, into orbit, thus allowing the country to enter into an unofficial Space Race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
with the Soviet Union, as part of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Early life and education
The second youngest of six children, Mary Sherman was born to Michael and Dorothy Sherman on their farm in Ray, North DakotaRay, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 534 people, 232 households, and 154 families residing in the city. The population density was 531.5 people per square mile . There were 296 housing units at an average density of 294.6 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.06% White, 0.56%...
.
When she was old enough to attend school, her father refused to enroll her, reasoning that he needed her help on the farm. In addition, a river divided their farm from the schoolhouse, which he claimed was too dangerous for her to cross. Eventually the State of North Dakota intervened and gave her a horse, which she rode across the river to get to school each morning. More than two years behind the other students, Sherman quickly caught up academically to her peers, and then surpassed them. In 1939 she graduated as her high school’s valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
.
Sherman had dreamed of attending college—a goal few young people in Ray, North Dakota achieved. For several years she had contemplated a career as a chemist. With Ray’s grade school teacher retiring, many people pressured her to forgo college, and take the job as Ray’s new school teacher. On the night of her graduation, she ran away from home, catching a bus to Minot. The next day she enrolled at North Dakota's Minot State University as a chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
major.
Career
By the end of Sherman's freshman year, World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had broken out. Sherman, who had become pregnant, decided to move to Ohio and move in temporarily with an aunt. After giving birth to a daughter, she gave the child up for adoption to her cousin Mary Hibbard and her husband, who had one child of their own and had been unable to have any more.
As a result of the war, the United States soon developed a shortage of chemists and other scientists. A local employment recruiter heard that Sherman had some experience with chemistry, and offered her a job at a local factory in Cleveland. He would not tell her what product the factory made, or what her job would be—only that she would be required to obtain a 'top secret' security clearance. Short on money, she decided to take the job even though it would mean having to postpone her college education.
After spending the war years designing explosives for the military, she applied for a job at North American Aviation
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
, and was employed in their Rocketdyne Division, in Canoga Park, California. Soon after being hired, she was promoted to Theoretical Performance Specialist, a job that required her to mathematically calculate the expected performance of new rocket propellants. Out of nine hundred engineers, she was the only woman, and one of the few without a college degree.
While working at North American Aviation, she met her future husband, George Richard Morgan, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Caltech. Together they had four children—George, Stephen, Monica and Karen.
Space race era
In 1957 the Soviet Union and the United States had set a goal of placing satellites into Earth orbit as part of a worldwide scientific celebration known as the International Geophysical YearInternational Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
. In this endeavor the United States effort was called Project Vanguard. The Soviet Union successfully launched the Sputnik
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 ) was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1s success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space...
satellite on October 4, 1957, an event followed soon after by a very public and disastrous explosion of a Vanguard rocket. Public pressure forced U.S. politicians to allow a former German rocket scientist, Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...
, to prepare his Redstone
Redstone (rocket)
The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range surface-to-surface rocket, it was in active service with the U.S. Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of Western Europe...
/Jupiter C rocket for an orbital flight. When von Braun’s team members discovered that their rocket would not be powerful enough to reach orbit, they awarded a contract to North American Aviation's Rocketdyne Division to come up with a more powerful fuel.
Due to her expertise and experience with new and exotic rocket propellants, Mary Sherman Morgan was placed in charge of the contract. The result was a new invention, Hydyne
Hydyne
Hydyne, also unofficially known as Bagel fuel, is a mixture of 60% unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and 40% diethylenetriamine , developed in 1957 at Rocketdyne for use in liquid-fuel rockets....
, a propellant that succeeded in launching America’s first satellite, Explorer I
Explorer I
Explorer 1 was the first Earth satellite of the United States, launched as part of its participation in the International Geophysical Year...
, into orbit on January 31, 1958.
Despite its importance at the time, Hydyne was never again used in a U.S. rocket.
Death
Though she was fascinated by science and chemistry, her first passion was the card game bridgeContract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
. She played in numerous tournaments during her lifetime, winning many. So obsessed was she about the game that shortly before her death she said, “My only regret in life is that I didn’t play more bridge.”
Mary Sherman Morgan died on August 4, 2004, as a result of complications related to emphysema.
Popular culture
Mary Sherman Morgan was the subject of a biographical stage play written by her son, George Morgan. The play, "Rocket Girl", was produced by Theater Arts at California Institute of Technology (TACIT), directed by Brian Brophy, and premiered at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California on November 17, 2008.External links
- Rocket Girl Celebrates Smash World Premiere At Caltech In Pasadena
- TACIT (Theater Arts at CIT). http://www.tacit.caltech.edu/
- Brophy, Brian; Filmography. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112393/