ArtistInfo

Jerry Elliott

A.k.a. Jerry Chris Elliott

Jerry Elliott was born in Oklahoma and grew up wondering about the colors in the sky and the way of things physical and spiritual. He followed this path through adulthood and now, after serving for over 20 years with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Elliott has time to focus on his music and poetic writings. Also known as J.C. High Eagle, Elliott is of Osage and Cherokee heritage and plays traditional American Indian flute in addition to popular country music. Among his many achievements are over 190 songwriting and composition credits as well as multiple published works of literature and philosophical writing. The Jerry Elliott Collection [80.11] was received by the Historical Society in 1980, and in subsequent years Elliott has continued to enhance his collection with new materials. The collection contains Elliott’s notebooks and documents from his work as a physicist and engineer at NASA from 1966-1986. This collection highlights the achievements of an Oklahoma native as well as the progression of the technology of space exploration. The Elliott Collection contains material in multiple formats, including photographs, film, audio recordings and artifacts. The paper items include notebooks, publications, and promotional material, all housed in the manuscript archives. These documents are available for the public to view by request. One unique aspect of the Elliott Collection is the documentation provided by the donor on many of the notable items. This image shows a page of notes from Elliott’s time at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, as his note candidly points out, he did not know at the time he would have the opportunity to be so intimately involved with lunar exploration missions. Elliott began working at NASA in 1966 as the Flight Mission Operations Engineer at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The Elliott Collection contains two notebooks he kept during flight missions while working in the control center. This image shows his entry for the date of July 15, 1969. On the eve of the launch of the first lunar landing mission, Elliott describes the atmosphere at the Space Center. Other entries include technical drawings, observations, and calculations. The morning of the launch, Elliott recorded the atmospheric data and declares at 45:45 that, “We are go.” Also notable is Elliott’s role in the historic Apollo 13 mission. In 1970 he was serving as the Retrofire Officer at the NASA Mission Control Center in Houston when the now infamous radio transmission crackled through space and announced that the Apollo 13 crew was experiencing an emergency situation. Elliott was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian accolade, for his calculations of a return trajectory to allow the struggling capsule back into Earth’s atmosphere. There is another notebook in the collection which Elliott used during missions. The front page includes a note from Elliott which reads, “This was my console notes at mission control center from Apollo up through Apollo 16. I always had it with me as a reference to the many things I needed to remember. It contains many of the procedures for planning the return to Earth from space.” Jerry Elliott was involved in many groundbreaking events at NASA, including the Apollo – Soyuz Test Project which took place in July of 1975. This historic mission brought an end to tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States and set the groundwork for the Mir International Space Station as it exists today. In addition to the NASA material, the Elliott Collection also contains personal writings, poetry, and documentation of spiritual endeavors such as the Circle of Unity project which brought native people from around the world together for a day of peace and hope in 1986. Jerry Elliott, or J.C. High Eagle, is a dynamic figure in the history of Oklahoma and for native peoples worldwide. --- Jerry Chris Elliott (native American Indian) joined NASA, as a Flight Mission Operations Engineer at NASA's Mission Control Center, and have held progressively responsible technical and managerial positions with highly successful accomplishments in the fields of spacecraft systems, hardware, software, configuration design, trajectories, mission operations, Earth resources, astronaut crew equipment, scientific experiments and technical management. Served as Staff Engineer, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., in the Apollo / Soyuz Program Office with partial duties dedicated to onboard spacecraft and ground crew mission operations, requirements and scientific experiments for the world's first Russian-American space mission. Prime duties are to assist in developing and implementing a program policy and management processes for the Space Shuttle Program Office Export Control Policy in dealing for foreign governments and international commerce. Special honors, awards, & recognition •The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, for duties as Retrofire Officer at NASA Mission Control Center during the aborted Apollo 13 space mission with safe return of the flight crew. Jerry Chris Elliott computed the spacecraft trajectory enabling it to return to Earth. •Bausch and Lomb National Science Award. •Science and Engineering National Achievement Award - Presented by the American Indian Art and Cultural Exchange. •National Chairperson, Native American Awareness Week •Special Achievement Award by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lewis Research Center, for meritorious achievements, and exceptional contributions to research, planning, organization and conduct of responsibilities relating to space and technology programs. •Group Achievement Award by NASA Langley Research Center. •Listed in American Men & Women of Science, the Physical and Biological Sciences. •Listed in Who's Who In Technology Today. •Bronze Halo Award by the Southern California Motion Picture Council for outstanding contributions to humanity. •Listed in Who's Who In The South & Southwest. •Listed in Men Of Achievement, Worldwide. •Listed in Personalities Of America. •Designer of the World's First International Site for Peace, Ecuador •Listed in the International Directory Of Distinguished Leadership. •Listed in Who's Who In Society. •Listed in Leading Consultants in Technology •Medal of Honor Award, highest national honor bestowed by The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Authored congressional legislation signed by President Gerald R. Ford Jerry Chris Elliott is also more than merely an entertainer — he is deeply involved in “world service,” desiring to tour widely for others to hear his music. He has over 194 registered musical compositions to his credit. His soul, constantly involved in stimulating others to greater beauty of what life truly represents, presents a beautiful frequency that others can align themselves with in harmony. Because his soul has a refined sensitivity, his accomplishment is very elated and stimulated in others who hear his music. His soul is strongly connected with music. He knows how to deal with certain universal rhythms so that his music may bring forth much activity wherever he goes. Entertainment has not only been his fascination, but his passion. He has been a professional solo guitarist (jazz, popular) for many years, and is equally proficient on the American Indian flute, Indian drum and keyboard synthesizer. His music has been described by others as simple elegance. Historically, music has been known as a form of communication for Native American Indians — the beat of the drum, perhaps the most familiar. Traditionally, it was the same with the flute. The native flute has a haunting, soulful sound that penetrates and permeates the world around it, letting its presence be known. A committed musician, he helped bring back the Indian flute back from virtual extinction. The soulful sound of his flute music is a blending of traditional and contemporary melodies that permeate the soul and promote relaxation — a quality to be treasured in today’s stressful world! The modern day significance of native Indian flute music has value in relieving stress in one’s quest for inner calm. Its recent revival is beginning to have the flavor of a more contemporary new sound today, mixed with the seasoning of times gone-by. Jerry aka J.C. High Eagle, has taken his music around the country and the world introducing it to a wide variety of groups, museums, colleges, national parks, festivals, special events, scouting programs, and yes, even symphony audiences! He has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the National Symphony Orchestra at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He is seeking to bring to the world something fresh and unique yet “commercial” in music on a higher plane, that has not been available heretofore. High Eagle was featured as a musician for soundtrack music to the CBS television movie, “Walker, Texas Ranger,” starring Hollywood actor Chuck Norris. Elliott an actor in the television ABC Suspense Movie of the Week (Universal Studios), along with actor Robert Culp, Clu Gallagher, Sandra Dee, Marianne Mobley, Ed Nelson and Gary Collins. Jerry Chris Elliott / J.C. High Eagle, today’s modern American Indian, is dedicated to exploring new outlets for his creativity while preserving the cultures and values of Native American Indians.

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