Meet The Women Of Mercury 13

Women Who Secretly Trained To Be Early Astronauts Honored

(CBS)  They were aviation pioneers who were virtually unknown for nearly half a century.

But as CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller reports, a sea of graduating seniors recognized them for having had the right stuff at the wrong time.

The University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh awarded honorary doctorates to eight of the remaining Mercury 13 – thirteen of America's finest female pilots who trained secretly to become astronauts at the dawn of the space race.

"We were ready to lay our lives on the line to be an astronaut," 75-year-old Jerrie Cobb said.

But when NASA said "manned space flight," it meant just that. Sexism and prejudice scrubbed their mission and their dreams.

"I finally got to talk with Vice President Johnson and he said, 'Jerrie if we let you or other women into the space program, we have to let blacks in, we'd have to let Mexican-Americans in, we have to let every minority in and we just can't do it'."

Jerrie Cobb was the first of what NASA called the "First Lady Astronaut Trainees." She had set records as a pilot and logged twice as many flight hours as John Glenn.

All of the Mercury 13 were accomplished. All aced the same rigorous training as the Mercury 7 men, and sometimes outperformed them.

"The women took part in much more strenuous tests," said Martha Ackmann, who wrote the book that introduced these trailblazers to the world. She also gave Saturday's key note address.

While the Mercury 13 women were grounded, the Russians launched the first woman into space in 1963.

It would take the U.S. two more decades to send up astronaut Sally Ride, and another 12 years before Eileen Collins would pilot a space mission.

"I'm just sorry that it took our government so long," Cobb said. "We wanted to go. We were qualified and we were ready."

The glass ceiling remains in aviation. Only a quarter of the nation's 154 astronauts are women. The numbers are even smaller for female pilots. They account for just 2.5 percent of pilots flying military jets and 3.5 percent of pilots of commercial aircraft.

The men who made up the Mercury 7 got fame and glory, and many believe it's time the Mercury 13 got their due.

"I think something like a congressional gold medal would be an honor," Ackmann said. "I think their names should be in the Smithsonian."

For Jerrie Cobb, finding the right reward would be simple.

"I still expect to go into space," Cobb said. "It's what I was born to do, it's my destiny."

[michellem99-2009]

I was 3 when NASA was formed. It was male. No ladies allowed. So these ladies trained for the flights. They train quietly. The ladies know they can fly into space even in the Mercury program. Men could not handle it. Men robbed them of their dream of human space flight.

[michellem99-2009]

In the 50s and 60s women were held back even tho they could do the job as well as men. I was 3 when NASA was formed. Women were barred from flight by you men at the time. Men's fear. I was told as a girl*you can't cos you're female*. This was all I heard growing up.That was/is a pack of lies.I was 14 when I taught myself to play spoons. I was 52 when I got my own computer. Men have no business to say what a woman can or can't do in life.
I never let any man control my life. I have a male friend I love dearly. It is him that is there for me. I for him.
I truly hope the young ladies today reach their dreams and make them happen.
Women have flown planes.It was done quietly. Men they have a tizzy so easily as they want the power and no woman will out do them. Sorry guys it don't work that way. It never did. Hats off to the ladies of Mercury 13 as it was/is sad they were robbed of their flights due to men's selfishness at the time.

[obiquital]

"On the 17th and 18th of July 1962, Representative Victor Anfuso (R-NY) convened public hearings before a special Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics. Significantly, the hearings investigated gender discrimination two full years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made that illegal, making these hearings a marker of how ideas about women's rights permeated political discourse even before they were enshrined in law. Cobb and Hart testified about the benefits of Lovelace's private project. Jackie Cochran talked about her concerns that setting up a special program to train a woman astronaut could hurt the space program. NASA representatives George Low and Astronauts John Glenn and Scott Carpenter testified that the women could not qualify as astronaut candidates. NASA required all astronauts to be graduates of military jet test piloting programs and have engineering degrees. In 1962, no women could meet these requirements. Although the Subcommittee was sympathetic to the women's arguments, no action resulted."

[iowa61234]

This is all insanity! There was no "training." There was no "secrecy." There was no "Mercury 13."
NASA had NOTHING to do with any of this. These women weren't rejected from anything as there was no program to be rejected from.

These no doubt highly capable women participated in some privately funded tests. THAT'S IT!

Please. Do some research! This is embarrassing to all concerned.

[generey]

But when NASA said "manned space flight," it meant just that. Sexism and prejudice scrubbed their mission and their dreams.

"I finally got to talk with Vice President Johnson and he said, 'Jerrie if we let you or other women into the space program, we have to let blacks in, we'd have to let Mexican-Americans in, we have to let every minority in and we just can't do it'."

Just another piece of proof that the U.S. Gov't MANDATES policies upon the private sector, but does what it wants concerning itself, ignoring its own policies.

Americans - Asleep at the wheel. LOL

[jairod]

ensynoptic: Are you sure that George, ***, Condi, and the rest are neocons? Hmmmm.
Johnson was simply reflecting the current thought in America at the time. True that his bogotted view refelcets the general temper of the time among the white leaders, all of whom were men. This thinking is a continuation of the what the Pilgrams brought, further perpetuated by the Madison avenue. Now, that is now that there seems to be diversity in advertizing, the trend is to further polarize by advancing English men in American advertizing. It is perception that the leaders use; perception that only white men (the whiter the better) can acheive great things. And, by great things I mean in the financial arena. All other arenas having been dominated by non-whites, politics not withstanding.
Is the story true? Of course it is.

[jairod]

ensynoptic: Are you sure that George, ***, Condi, and the rest are neocons? Hmmmm.
Johnson was simply reflecting the current thought in America at the time. True that his bogotted view refelcets the general temper of the time among the white leaders, all of whom were men. This thinking is a continuation of the what the Pilgrams brought, further perpetuated by the Madison avenue. Now, that is now that there seems to be diversity in advertizing, the trend is to further polarize by advancing English men in American advertizing. It is perception that the leaders use; perception that only white men (the whiter the better) can acheive great things. And, by great things I mean in the financial arena. All other arenas having been dominated by non-whites, politics not withstanding.
Is the story true? Of course it is.

[jairod]

ensynoptic: Are you sure that George, ***, Condi, and the rest are neocons? Hmmmm.
Johnson was simply reflecting the current thought in America at the time. True that his bogotted view refelcets the general temper of the time among the white leaders, all of whom were men. This thinking is a continuation of the what the Pilgrams brought, further perpetuated by the Madison avenue. Now, that is now that there seems to be diversity in advertizing, the trend is to further polarize by advancing English men in American advertizing. It is perception that the leaders use; perception that only white men (the whiter the better) can acheive great things. And, by great things I mean in the financial arena. All other arenas having been dominated by non-whites, politics not withstanding.
Is the story true? Of course it is.

[jimo-cbs]

How stupid do you think your viewers are? Plenty stupid -- and you may be right, judging from some of those responses.

For debunking last week's "Mercury 13" Myths, check out "The Mercury 13: setting the story straight", by James Oberg
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/869/1

[ensynoptic]

hardsoft1 wrote:
"Your headline reads, "Meet The Women Of Mercury 13." Nowhere in the article are the thirteen named. Isn't this a little strange?"


Good propaganda is *invisible*. You don't realize you're reading propaganda. Feminism isn't about empowering women - it's about causing resentment against men - with the ultimate aim of reducing the birthrate of the White majority in this country. You may think this is a crazy assertion, but examine the history of communist subversion in this country and you will find components of ethnic aggression - against White people. Really. And the bigger news is that the "communists" won; look at the Neo-cons running our country and the cultural Marxism that has captured our schools and other institutions.

[michellem99-2009]

I am 52. I have alway felt ladies could do it. It is so sad they were ROBBED of this. I told my foster Mum there will be a day when ladies fly into space. I was 15. I knew it would happed in my lifetime. Sally Ride. I alway felt ladies were able to fly into space. We mulit task better than the men.
They should fly into space as they earned it.
I love the space program and felt it wrong man was only allowed to fly years ago.It never sat right with me.
Ladies you got the right stuff. Men were wrong to take that away and never allowed it. Women were alway held back. Our gender should never matter.

[britski-2009]

The millionaires who have bought their way into space should happily pay for the Mercury 13 ladies to have a trip themselves.

If anyone deserves it, they do!

You ladies make me proud to be a woman!

[hardsoft1]

Your headline reads, "Meet The Women Of Mercury 13." Nowhere in the article are the thirteen named. Isn't this a little strange?