NASA Astronaut (former)
PERSONAL DATA: Born March 16, 1932, in Creston, Iowa. Grown children, Brian and Kimberly. Walter is an avid sports enthusiast and is particularly interested in tennis, hunting, and sports cars.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Venice High School, Venice, California; received a bachelor of arts degree with honors in Physics in 1960 and a master of arts degree in Physics in 1961 from the University of California at Los Angeles; completed work on Doctorate in Physics with exception of thesis. Advanced Management Program, Harvard Graduate School of Business, 1974.
ORGANIZATIONS: Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Society; member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots; the American Geophysical Union; Explorers Club; Sigma Pi Sigma, and Sigma Xi. Chairman of UCLA Alumni Fund Drive, 1969 and 1970; Aviation Sub-committee Houston Chamber of Commerce; Advisory Board the Edward Teller Center; Board of Governors, Houston Center Club and a member of the Houston American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. Founding Director, Earth Awareness Foundation and A-1 Answering Service of Texas.
SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and Navy Astronaut Wings; co-recipient of the AIAA 1969 Haley Astronautics Award; presented the UCLA Alumni Professional Achievement Award for 1969 and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustee Award (1969): the American Legion Medal of Valor, and Outstanding American Award of the American Conservative Union, 1975; named to the International Space Hall of Fame and Houston Hall of Fame; Judge for the 1984 Rolex Awards for Enterprise. Listed in Who's Who in America, the world, Aviation and other similar publications.
PUBLICATIONS: "Importance of the Observation That Stars Don't Twinkle Outside the Earth's Atmosphere" (with L. Marshall Libby).
The All-American Boys (Macmillan, 1977), the human side of the space program.
Articles for various magazines, technical journals and newspapers.