James Alton McDivitt
Astronaut

Date of Birth: June 10, 1929
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois
Joined NASA: September 17, 1962
Left NASA: June 1, 1972
Space Flights: 2
Time in Space: 14 days, 2 hours, 31 minutes
MISSION ASSIGNMENTS
Gemini 4
June 3-7, 1965
Assignment: Command Pilot
Flight Duration: 4 days, 1 hour, 56 minutes

Gemini 5
Assignment: Capcom

Apollo 9
March 3-13, 1969
Assignment: Commander
Flight Duration: 10 days, 1 hour

HIGHLIGHTS

  • B.Sc., Aeronautical Engineering, University of Michigan, 1959

  • Joined the US Air Force in 1951 retiring 21 years later with the rank of Brigadier General.

  • Flew 145 combat missions during the Korean War.

  • Graduate of the USAF Experimental Test Pilot School and the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School. Served a a Test Pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, California until selected by NASA.

  • June 1965, Command Pilot of Gemini 4, the first 4 day mission by NASA which was highlighted by his Pilot Ed White's first American EVA.

  • March 1969, CDR of Apollo 9, the first manned test of the Lunar Module(LM) during an earth orbital mission.

  • May 1969, named Manager, Lunar Landing Operations at JSC.

  • August 1969, named Manager, Apollo Spacecraft Program overseeing all lunar opeations from Apollo 12 through to Apollo 16. Resigned over a disagreement as to who should command the final Apollo landing mission.

  • Left NASA and the USAF in June 1972 to become Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Consumer Power Co.

  • March 1975, joined Pullman Inc., as Executive Vice-President & Director, becoming President of the Pullman Standard Division in October of that year.

  • January 1981, joined Rockwell International as Senior Vice-President of Government Operations and Strategic Planning.