Col. William R. Pogue, a distinguished Sand Springs High School Class of 1947 graduate, embarked on a remarkable 25-year military career. His service included a combat tour in Korea, two years as an aerobatic pilot with the Thunderbirds, and a stint as an assistant professor of mathematics at the Air Force Academy. He also had an exchange assignment as a test pilot with the Royal Air Force, flying over fifty types of American, British, and Czech aircraft.
Pogue was one of 19 astronauts chosen for the Apollo missions and participated in Apollo 7, 11, and 14. His notable 84-day space flight aboard Skylab (’73-’74) with astronauts Jerry Carr and Ed Gibson set eight endurance and distance records. He conducted significant experiments on Earth, the sun, and the effects of zero gravity, including two space walks, one of which set a record of over seven hours. With 7,200 hours of flight time, including 4,200 in jet aircraft and 2,017 in space, Col. Pogue retired from NASA in 1977. He now resides in Florida and works as an independent technical contractor for aerospace and energy firms.