Warren North, an aeronautical engineer who participated in the formation of NASA, died April 10, 2012, at the age of 89.
North was a pilot in World War II, and then earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue in 1947. He was an engineering test pilot at the Lewis Flight Laboratory in Cleveland, and earned a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Case Institute of Technology in 1955. In 1957, he earned a second master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton.
After Princeton, he joined NASA and served on the selection team for the seven original astronauts. North worked on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo projects, rising to chief of the flight crew operations division at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. He was involved not only with astronaut selection, but also with training, evaluation, and designs for spacecraft operations. He retired from NASA in 1985.
After retiring, North built his own plane and continued flying until his final year. He also established a nonprofit foundation and spent the next 26 years advancing literacy through the Spalding Method of teaching reading developed by his aunt.
North is survived by his wife, Mary; three children; and four grandchildren.
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