Bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, 1950; Lieutenant Colonel, USAF; test pilot; he flew 100 combat missions during the Korean War; he became the second American in space when he piloted the suborbital flight of the Mercury-Redstone-4 spacecraft "Liberty Bell 7" on July 21, 1961; hobbies: Hunting, fishing, skiing, boating; he died in the Apollo 1 launch pad fire.