Schirra, Walter M. Jr.

Walter Marty Schirra Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, and one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven astronauts. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, and raised in Bergen County, he graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood in 1940 before entering the U.S. Naval Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1945. During World War II and the Korean War, Schirra served as a naval officer and combat pilot, flying numerous missions before becoming a test pilot. In 1959, he was selected as one of the first seven astronauts in Project Mercury, the United States’ initial human spaceflight program. Over the next decade, he became the only astronaut to fly in all three early NASA programs—Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo—and the first person to travel into space three times. His missions included Mercury-Atlas 8 (1962), Gemini 6A (1965), and Apollo 7 (1968), helping lay the groundwork for the eventual Moon landings. Schirra often credited his Englewood High School teacher, Ione S. Eckerson, with shaping his intellectual foundation. At a school tribute honoring her decades of teaching, Schirra wrote that she had been a powerful influence on many lives and expressed deep gratitude for the role she played in helping him develop the background he needed for his career. Her emphasis on global awareness, civic responsibility, and disciplined thinking left a lasting mark on him during his formative years. After retiring from NASA and the Navy in 1969 with the rank of captain, Schirra became a commentator for CBS News, covering subsequent Apollo missions. He died in 2007, remembered as one of the central figures of America’s early space age—and as a former Englewood student who never forgot the teacher who helped guide his path.

“Teacher Is Lauded By Astronaut Pupil,” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), June 3, 1966.

NASA

1964

Public Domain