Deke Slayton Mercury Program Notebook

Collection — Box: Slayton Collections Box 1

Identifier: 2011-12-03

Content Description

The Deke Slayton Mercury Program Notebook is a small collection consisting of a single item: a spiral bound "steno"-style notebook of handwritten notes by Deke Slayton during the Mercury Program. Written on the cover is the text, “Astro Affairs Organization of 1st Astronaut Office." The contents of the notebook illustrate the organizational structure of the department, problems that needed to be addressed, future program plans, and policies that were to be published. Each of these topics are further detailed by lists and brief notes.

Dates

Creation: circa 1958-1963

Creator

Slayton, Donald K., 1924-1993 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.

Conditions Governing Use

The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.

Biographical Note: Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton

Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton was a pilot for the United States Air Force, an aeronautical engineer, test pilot and then astronaut, who was selected as one of NASA's original Mercury Seven astronauts. He was born in Sparta, Wisconsin on March 1, 1924. During World War II, he joined the United States Army Air Force. Following the end of the war he attended the University of Minnesota and received his Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering in 1949. He later joined the United States Air Force where he was a pilot. His experience led him to be selected as one of the astronauts for the Mercury Program. He later became NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut Office and Director of Flight Crew Operations, responsible for NASA crew assignments. Slayton passed away on June 13, 1993 in League City, Texas.