ANN ARBOR—Two of the Mercury 13—a group of women who passed all the tests required of astronaut candidates in 1960—will speak of their experiences on Sept. 6, at 7 p.m., in the Boeing Lecture Hall of the Francois Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Building on the University of Michigan’s North Campus. A reception will follow the meeting, which is free and open to the public.

[North Campus map, FXB Building in right center]

The two speakers will be Jane “Janey” Hart and Bernice “Bea” Steadman. Hart is the widow of the late Philip A. Hart, former Michigan senator. In honor of her “Michigan connection,” Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and Rep. Lynn Rivers also have been invited to attend.

In 1959 a group of aviation medicine experts put 31 male astronaut candidates through a series of grueling medical tests. Out of this group emerged the Mercury 7, who comprised our first manned venture into space—including John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Scott Carpenter. In 1960, 25 women aviators endured exactly the same physical and psychological tests and 13 of them—known as the Mercury 13—passed with outstanding results. But when NASA decided that astronaut candidates must have jet test-pilot experience, the women, all experienced commercial pilots, were effectively eliminated from the program. Sworn to secrecy, they resumed their former lives.

Earlier, Hart, already an accomplished pilot and mother of eight children, had learned to fly helicopters so that she could pilot her husband around Michigan during his campaign, landing him “virtually at the voters’ feet.” Following his victory, and the dismissal of the Mercury 13, she remained an active lobbyist in Washington, D.C., for women astronauts.

Steadman, who earned her private pilot’s license at age 17, later owned and operated her own flight school and charter service at Flint’s Bishop Airport. In 1968 she was elected president of the prestigious women’s flying group, the International Ninety Nines.

The U-M lecture is sponsored by the Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Women in Engineering Office.

For more information, telephone the Women in Engineering Office, (734) 647-7012), or contact Susan Burke (saburke@engin.umich.edu), Lynn Craig (craigl@umich.edu) or Amy Fischer (fischera@engin.umich.edu).

Contact: Judy Steeh
 

Mercury 13North Campus mapJane “Janey” HartMercury 7,Department of Aerospace Engineeringsaburke@engin.umich.edu