AISES
Jerry C. Elliott-High Eagle is a physicist, and was one of the first indigenous persons employed by NASA, where he had a rewarding and successful career for 41 years. He is most known for his contributions as the lead Retrofire Officer during the Apollo 13 mission, where his actions saved the lives of the three astronauts on board. Elliott’s work awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, awarded by the President of the United States. Some of Elliott’s personal papers from the Apollo era are held at the Oklahoma History Center.
In 1977, he was a founder/incorporator of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Inc. The society pursues further Native American involvement in the sciences. He is the founder and CEO of High Eagle Technologies, Inc., a Native company dedicated to cancer research and treatment with patented technology he was awarded in 2019.
Jerry enjoys playing the guitar and Indian flute. His music compositions have led to him to performing with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. He has also played a role in the film Houston, We’ve Got a Problem, where he played himself, along with appearances on the television show Walker, Texas Ranger.