James H. Trainor
Encyclopedia
James H. Trainor was an American physicist.
, the son of Peter D. and Bernice E. Trainor. He graduated in 1953 from Lancaster Academy, where he was the class valedictorian. He attended the University of New Hampshire
in Durham
, where he received a bachelor of science degree in physics in 1958 and a master's degree in physics in 1959. He earned his Ph.D. from UNH in 1964 and made history by being the first graduate of that university to receive a doctorate in physics. From 1962 to 1964, he was a U.S. Air Force research fellow. He later lived in Greenbelt, Maryland
, Silver Spring, Maryland
, and Chincoteague, Virginia
before moving to Seal Beach, California
.
Immediately after the Starfish Prime
high-altitude nuclear test in 1962, the U.S. military realized it had no ability to collect accurate data on the intense and persistent radiation belts created by the blast. This would lead Edward Teller
to appropriate a satellite instrument designed and built by Trainor, then a graduate student in the physics department at the University of New Hampshire. Trainor had no choice but to provide his instrument, originally designed to study cosmic ray
neutron
albedo
, to the U.S. government along with all its data bus specifications and complete documentation. Trainor was not told why his graduate work was being appropriated. The instrument was immediately flown to California where engineers were to graft it onto other equipment before launching it into orbit. However, the engineers apparently became confused over some technical detail and felt they needed to make better contact with Trainor. After the data from the satellite returned to earth, and about a week after the detonation, Trainor was invited to a scientific meeting where the data collected from his instrument were discussed in a packed room at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.
Dr. Trainor joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1964 as a research physicist. He served in a number of significant positions that included those of Instrumentation Branch head, associate chief of the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, and, then in 1987, director of the Space and Earth Sciences Directorate, the latter of which contained more than one-half of all NASA
scientists. He was a NASA
project scientist for many space flight projects and balloon and sounding rocket programs. He was personally responsible for 15 successful experiments launched on NASA
and U.S. Air Force missions, and was the author or co-author of more than 60 scientific and engineering publications. He was also responsible for the oversight of hundreds of flight instruments.
Before he retired from NASA
on September 3, 1994, after 30 years of service, Dr. Trainor had been associate director and chief scientist of NASA
's Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Maryland
for five years and the principal assistant to the center's director for the oversight of science, engineering, computing and technology. Goddard is responsible for managing, developing, launching and operating about two-thirds of all NASA satellites. Since his retirement, Dr. Trainor had served in a continuing role as a consultant and chair of the Review Board for the ACE spacecraft instruments and IMAGE instruments and spacecraft. In recent years, he had made special contributions throughout NASA
as an expert in sensor systems, flight electronic systems and nuclear radiation effects.
Dr. Trainor received many awards, including the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1974, the NASA Medal for Exceptional Service in 1987, the Meritorious Rank Presidential Award (Senior Executive Service
) in 1987 (selected by President
Ronald Reagan
), the Distinguished Executive Presidential Award in 1991 (awarded at the White House
by President
George H. W. Bush
) and the NASA Medal for Distinguished Service
in 1994. He was a member of many scientific and aeronautical organizations, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
, which awarded him a Lifetime Fellowship in 1984. He was also a member of Phi Kappa Phi
. In 1979, he was awarded a NASA Research and Study Fellowship and was a Visiting Associate at the California Institute of Technology
in Pasadena
.
Dr. Trainor died in Los Alamitos, California
on October 4, 2003. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Mary (Mirijanian) Trainor of Seal Beach, California
; a son, Douglas J. Trainor of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
; a daughter, Dr. Jennifer L. Trainor of Hinsdale, Illinois
; two grandchildren, Eli Trainor Seo and Gabriella Trainor Seo, both also of Hinsdale; a brother, Paul D. Trainor of Martinez, Georgia
; a sister, Catherine M. Huffman of Peoria, Arizona
; a son-in-law, Dr. Robert M. Seo of Hinsdale; a daughter-in-law, Dr. Xuan Hong of Phoenixville
; two aunts, Maida Fortin of Lancaster, New Hampshire
, and Geneva Daisy of Holyoke, Massachusetts
; and several cousins in New Hampshire
and Massachusetts
.
A special memorial service for Dr. Trainor was held Wednesday, November 5, 2003 from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Maryland
.
Biography
He was born in Lancaster, New HampshireLancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, on the Connecticut River named after Lancaster, England. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,507, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region...
, the son of Peter D. and Bernice E. Trainor. He graduated in 1953 from Lancaster Academy, where he was the class valedictorian. He attended the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
in Durham
Durham, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile...
, where he received a bachelor of science degree in physics in 1958 and a master's degree in physics in 1959. He earned his Ph.D. from UNH in 1964 and made history by being the first graduate of that university to receive a doctorate in physics. From 1962 to 1964, he was a U.S. Air Force research fellow. He later lived in Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
, Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, and Chincoteague, Virginia
Chincoteague, Virginia
Chincoteague is a town on Chincoteague Island in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. The town is perhaps best known for the Chincoteague Ponies, although these are not actually on the island of Chincoteague but on nearby Assateague Island...
before moving to Seal Beach, California
Seal Beach, California
-Neighborhoods:Seal Beach encompasses the Leisure World retirement gated community with roughly 9,000 residents. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the U.S...
.
Immediately after the Starfish Prime
Starfish Prime
Starfish Prime was a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States of America on July 9, 1962, a joint effort of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Defense Atomic Support Agency ....
high-altitude nuclear test in 1962, the U.S. military realized it had no ability to collect accurate data on the intense and persistent radiation belts created by the blast. This would lead Edward Teller
Edward Teller
Edward Teller was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist, known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb," even though he did not care for the title. Teller made numerous contributions to nuclear and molecular physics, spectroscopy , and surface physics...
to appropriate a satellite instrument designed and built by Trainor, then a graduate student in the physics department at the University of New Hampshire. Trainor had no choice but to provide his instrument, originally designed to study cosmic ray
Cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
neutron
Neutron
The neutron is a subatomic hadron particle which has the symbol or , no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton. With the exception of hydrogen, nuclei of atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of...
albedo
Albedo
Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
, to the U.S. government along with all its data bus specifications and complete documentation. Trainor was not told why his graduate work was being appropriated. The instrument was immediately flown to California where engineers were to graft it onto other equipment before launching it into orbit. However, the engineers apparently became confused over some technical detail and felt they needed to make better contact with Trainor. After the data from the satellite returned to earth, and about a week after the detonation, Trainor was invited to a scientific meeting where the data collected from his instrument were discussed in a packed room at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.
Dr. Trainor joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1964 as a research physicist. He served in a number of significant positions that included those of Instrumentation Branch head, associate chief of the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, and, then in 1987, director of the Space and Earth Sciences Directorate, the latter of which contained more than one-half of all NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
scientists. He was a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
project scientist for many space flight projects and balloon and sounding rocket programs. He was personally responsible for 15 successful experiments launched on NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and U.S. Air Force missions, and was the author or co-author of more than 60 scientific and engineering publications. He was also responsible for the oversight of hundreds of flight instruments.
Before he retired from NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
on September 3, 1994, after 30 years of service, Dr. Trainor had been associate director and chief scientist of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
in Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
for five years and the principal assistant to the center's director for the oversight of science, engineering, computing and technology. Goddard is responsible for managing, developing, launching and operating about two-thirds of all NASA satellites. Since his retirement, Dr. Trainor had served in a continuing role as a consultant and chair of the Review Board for the ACE spacecraft instruments and IMAGE instruments and spacecraft. In recent years, he had made special contributions throughout NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
as an expert in sensor systems, flight electronic systems and nuclear radiation effects.
Dr. Trainor received many awards, including the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1974, the NASA Medal for Exceptional Service in 1987, the Meritorious Rank Presidential Award (Senior Executive Service
Senior Executive Service
The Senior Executive Service is a paygrade in the civil service of the United States federal government, somewhat analogous to the ranks of general or admiral in the U.S. armed forces...
) in 1987 (selected by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
), the Distinguished Executive Presidential Award in 1991 (awarded at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
) and the NASA Medal for Distinguished Service
NASA Distinguished Service Medal
The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the highest award which may be bestowed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States...
in 1994. He was a member of many scientific and aeronautical organizations, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
, which awarded him a Lifetime Fellowship in 1984. He was also a member of Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
. In 1979, he was awarded a NASA Research and Study Fellowship and was a Visiting Associate at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Dr. Trainor died in Los Alamitos, California
Los Alamitos, California
Los Alamitos is a small city in Orange County, California. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,449 at the 2010 census, down from 11,536 at the 2000 census...
on October 4, 2003. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Mary (Mirijanian) Trainor of Seal Beach, California
Seal Beach, California
-Neighborhoods:Seal Beach encompasses the Leisure World retirement gated community with roughly 9,000 residents. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the U.S...
; a son, Douglas J. Trainor of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
; a daughter, Dr. Jennifer L. Trainor of Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
; two grandchildren, Eli Trainor Seo and Gabriella Trainor Seo, both also of Hinsdale; a brother, Paul D. Trainor of Martinez, Georgia
Martinez, Georgia
Martinez is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area...
; a sister, Catherine M. Huffman of Peoria, Arizona
Peoria, Arizona
Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Located primarily in Maricopa County, it is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land...
; a son-in-law, Dr. Robert M. Seo of Hinsdale; a daughter-in-law, Dr. Xuan Hong of Phoenixville
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
; two aunts, Maida Fortin of Lancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, on the Connecticut River named after Lancaster, England. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,507, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region...
, and Geneva Daisy of Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
; and several cousins in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
A special memorial service for Dr. Trainor was held Wednesday, November 5, 2003 from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
in Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
.