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Cernan, Eugene

 Person

Biographical Information

Eugene Andrew "Gene" Cernan was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 14, 1934 to Rose and Andrew Cernan. He graduated in 1952 from Proviso Township High School in Maywood, Illinois, where he was recognized for scholastic excellence, played varsity football and basketball, and also served as president of the Proviso Major Letter Men. Cernan then attended college at Purdue University beginning fall of 1952, where he enrolled in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and became a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. In addition to attaining membership in several academic societies, Cernan served as a junior editor for Debris, Purdue University's yearbook, and as editor-in-chief for As You Were, the NROTC yearbook, in his senior year. In 1956, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Upon graduation, he served aboard the USS Saipan.

In October 1956, he entered flight training and was assigned to Attack Squadrons 26 and 112 at the Naval Air Station in Miramar, California. He later attended the United States Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he completed coursework in subjects ranging from basic electronics to advanced aerodynamics. In 1963 Cernan received a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

In October of 1963, he was one of 14 astronauts selected by NASA to participate in projects Gemini and Apollo. During his first space flight in 1966, he served as pilot under Commander Tom Stafford for the Gemini 9 mission. Through this mission, he became the second American to walk in space, spending a total of two hours and ten minutes outside of the spacecraft. Cernan's difficult experience during his Gemini 9 spacewalk resulted in a number of technological innovations regarding hand/footholds on spacecraft as well as spacesuit cooling systems. Cernan then served as backup pilot for Gemini 12 in 1966 and as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 7 in 1968. On his second space flight he served as lunar module pilot of Apollo 10 in 1969, piloting the lunar module to within 8 nautical miles of the surface of the moon. Apollo 10, often referred to as a "dress rehearsal for the moon landing," served as the final testing of operations and equipment in preparation for Apollo 11. Cernan later served as backup spacecraft commander for Apollo 14 and then as spacecraft commander of Apollo 17, the last manned mission to the moon, which launched in December 1972. The Apollo 17 crew set several records for spaceflight during its mission – it logged the longest manned lunar landing at 301 hours, the longest lunar surface extravehicular activities at 22 hours, brought back the largest lunar sample load, and spent the longest time in lunar orbit at 147 hours. Eugene Cernan spent 566 hours in space and 73 hours on the lunar surface in total. As the last human of the 20th century to walk on the lunar surface, Cernan remarked before entering the module, "America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."

Following Apollo 17, Cernan became Special Assistant to the Program Manager of the Apollo spacecraft program at Johnson Space Center. In this capacity he worked on the joint United States-Soviet Union Apollo-Soyuz mission planning and development and as the senior United States negotiator for discussions with the USSR on the Apollo Soyuz Test Project. He retired for the U.S. Navy and from NASA in July 1976. Following his retirement he pursued a business and consulting career that included roles in Coral Petroleum, Inc., Johnson Engineering Corporation, and forming his own company, The Cernan Corporation. He has made numerous appearances on television and in films in relation to his experience as an Apollo astronaut. In 1999, with Don Davis, he co-authored his autobiography, The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America’s Race in Space.

Throughout his professional career, Cernan developed a high number of close relationships with notable political leaders, fellow astronauts and cosmonauts, business leaders, and celebrities. Cernan took part in a number of publicity and diplomatic initiatives, particularly with former Vice President Spiro Agnew, as well as charity work alongside such notable figures as Bob Hope and Jimmy Demaret. Later, Cernan received feedback from many of these friends and acquaintances while writing his autobiography. Cernan’s professional career has also earned him a number of aviation awards and recognitions, including honorary doctorates from Purdue and other universities.

Eugene A. Cernan died on January 16, 2017 in Houston, Texas, at the age of 82.

Citation:
Astronaut Bio: Eugene A. Cernan. Accessed July 13, 2009. http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cernan-ea.html
Citation:
MSA 288, Eugene A. Cernan papers, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries.

Found in 11 Collections and/or Records:

Purdue University Astronauts collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 168
Scope and Contents The Purdue University Astronauts collection consists of items relating to Purdue's alumni astronauts that had been collected by various donors before the advent of the Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives. Included are newspaper clippings, Purdue University News Service press releases that had been written in regards to Neil A. Armstrong and Apollo 11, and various newspapers with Apollo 11 headlines and related clippings. Also included are Purdue University related...
Dates: 1965 - 2003

Barbara Marie Stephens Sullivan Cape Canaveral and Eau Gallie, Florida photographs and memorabilia

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 202
Scope and Contents The Barbara Marie Stephens Sullivan Cape Canaveral and Eau Gallie, Florida photographs and memorabilia document activities at Cape Canaveral in the late 1950s through early 1960s. Included are selected community and aerospace materials related to the United States Space Program activities at the Cape during the mid-1960s through the 1980s and photographs of Eau Gallie, Florida from this time period.Of note are brochures and commemorative publications of the John F. Kennedy Space...
Dates: 1950 - 1986; Majority of material found within 1965 - 1969

Eugene A. Cernan "High Flight" poem

 Collection — Box Communal Collections 68: Series MSP 194, Series 2; Series MSP 160, Series 5; Series UA 160, Series 6; Series UA 20, Series 6; Series UA 20, Series 7; Series MSA 371, Series 1; Series MSA 371, Series 2; Series UA 182, Series 2; Series MSP 311, Series 3; Series MSF 447, Series 1; Series MSA 320, Series 2; Series MSF 555, Series 4; Series UA 182, Series 4; Series MSF 553, Series 5; Series MSF 553, Series 10, Placement: 04
Identifier: MSP 149
Scope and Contents

Copy of "High Flight" poem by John Gillespie Magee Jr., affixed to board. The poem was taken by Eugene A. Cernan on Apollo 10's mission to the moon, May 18 - 26, 1969. It is inscribed by Cernan; "To Mitch Simmons - So as never to forget we took this copy of High Flight to the moon on Apollo X 18-26 May 1969.  You above all can appreciate it's significance, Sincerely Gene Cernan."

The letter of authenticity was signed by Cernan on August 25, 2010 and is housed with the poem.

Dates: circa 1969

Eugene A. Cernan papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSA 288
Scope and Contents The Eugene A. Cernan papers document the military, aeronautics, and astronautics career of Eugene A. Cernan, as well as his subsequent professional and public activities. The papers also feature records pertaining to Cernan's youth, family, and education. The collection includes but is not limited to artifacts, audiovisual recordings, awards, books, certificates, coins, correspondence, documents, mission patches, newspaper clippings, photographs, plaques, publications, scrapbooks, speeches,...
Dates: 1934 - 2016; Majority of material found within 1956 - 2012

Collection of Purdue Astronaut slide rules

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSA 254
Scope and Contents

Slide rules of six Purdue alumni astronauts: Neil Armstrong, Roy Bridges, Eugene Cernan, Richard Covey, Guy Gardner, and Jerry Ross.

Dates: Other: undated

Eugene Cenan's Veteran's Day Speech

 Unprocessed Material — Box Communal Accessions 73
Identifier: 2025-046
Dates: November 16, 2014

Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt Apollo 17 Lunar Orbit Chart and Cartoon

 Unprocessed Material — Folder 1
Identifier: 2023-121

Eugene Cernan's Framed Compilation of Flags and Patches, Carried to Moon on Apollo 10

 Collection — Item 1
Identifier: MSA 271
Scope and Contents One framed artifact containing a small American flag, two space mission patches (Gemini IX, Stafford-Cernan) and (Apollo X, Stafford-Young-Cernan), a Purdue University Centennial Year flag (1869-1969), and a note from astronaut Eugene Cernan, "These flags and patches were carried to the moon on Apollo 10. Presented to the faculty and students of Purdue University by Commander Gene Cernan. My sincere thanks to all at Purdue for helping make this accomplishment possible." (Signed by Eugene...
Dates: 1969

Purdue Honorary Doctorates records

 Collection — Box Communal Collections 65, Placement: 12, Folder: 1
Identifier: UA 169
Scope and Contents

The records are a compilation of all individuals that received honorary doctorates from Purdue between 1888 and 2013. The list contains the date and discipline the degrees which were awarded. Famous honorary doctorates include Neil Armstrong, Eugene Cernan, Mitch Daniels, A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., and Darlene Clark Hine.

Dates: 1888 - 2013

Purdue University Astronauts collection, addition 01

 Unprocessed Material — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 2025-060

Purdue University Scabbard and Blade collection

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 163
Scope and Contents The Purdue University Scabbard and Blade collection documents activities of Company E (Purdue University), along with the National Society of Scabbard and Blade. Some of the unique items include constitutions from 1926, 1966, 1968 and 1970, an IBM printout of names, addresses and information for members of the National Society of Scabbard and Blade initiated in the 1960-1970 and 1970-1971 school years, and a 1973 issue of The Scabbard and Blade Journal that features a cover story of Purdue...
Dates: 1924 - 1973; Majority of material found within 1960 - 1973