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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu
Special Collections and University Archives Staff
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to research.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Otis Jerome Parker Papers, Ms1987-065, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Source of Acquisition
The Otis Jerome Parker Papers were donated to the Special Collections and University Archives in 1987.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement and description of the Otis Jerome Parker Papers were completed in May 2005.
Biographical Note
Otis Jerome Parker (1918-1995), an aerospace engineer, was employed by NASA's Langley Research Center during the 1960s and 1970s. He worked in the Flight Vehicles and Systems Division during the Gemini program and was named assistant manager of Langley's Apollo Applications Program Experiments Systems in 1969. In 1971, he was assigned the same position in the Skylab program. Parker was largely involved with the design and development of "jet shoes" and other devices intended to provide maneuverability during astronauts' extravehicular activity in spaceflight. During his work at NASA, Parker was granted patents as inventor or co-inventor of a despin weight release mechanism, a spacecraft separation system, an ullage compensator and a flared tube strainer.
Scope and Content
This collection contains the papers of Otis Jerome Parker, an aerospace engineer employed at NASA's Langley Research Center during the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab projects. The collection consists largely of a few NASA publications regarding the design and development of "jet shoes" and other devices intended to provide propulsion and maneuverability during extravehicular activity (EVA) in spaceflight. The collection also includes Langley inter-office communications regarding Parker and the projects on which he worked, as well as a small set of photographs of Parker and EVA propulsion devices. With the exception of one photograph, this collection consists of photocopied materials.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by document type, then chronologically.
Related Material
Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives also holds a manuscript collection on Parker's brother, William Dale. The finding aid for the W. Dale Parker Papers can be found here.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Archives of American Aerospace Exploration (AAAE)
- Inventors
- Parker, Otis Jerome, 1918-1995
- Science and Technology
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Otis Jerome Parker Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).