Meredith Gourdine
Encyclopedia
Meredith Charles "Flash" Gourdine (September 26, 1929, Newark, New Jersey
- November 20, 1998, Houston) was an American
athlete, engineer and physicist.
Gourdine graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School
and studied at Cornell University
, where he competed in the sprints, hurdles and long jump, and was selected for membership in the Quill and Dagger
society. At the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki
he won a silver medal in the long jump, one and a half inch short of Jerome Biffle
's golden medal jump.
After earning his bachelor's degree in engineering in 1953, Gourdine became an officer in the United States Navy. In 1960 he earned a doctorate in engineering from the California Institute of Technology
working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
from 1958-60. He founded a research laboratory, Gourdine Laboratories, in Livingston, New Jersey
and a company, Energy Innovation, in Houston. The companies developed engineering techniques to aid removing smoke from buildings and disperse fog from airport runways, and converting low-grade coal into inexpensive, transportable and high-voltage electrical energy. He was inducted to the Dayton, Ohio, Engineering and Science Hall of Fame in 1994. He also served as a Trustee of Cornell University.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
- November 20, 1998, Houston) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete, engineer and physicist.
Gourdine graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech or just Tech, and also administratively as High School 430, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science and is the largest specialized high school for science, technology, engineering, and...
and studied at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he competed in the sprints, hurdles and long jump, and was selected for membership in the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society. At the 1952 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics
At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 963 participating athletes from 57 countries.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
he won a silver medal in the long jump, one and a half inch short of Jerome Biffle
Jerome Biffle
Jerome Cousins Biffle was an American athlete who competed mainly in the long jump.Biffle attended Denver East High School, where he won all-state honors in the 100 and 220-yard sprints, high jump and broad jump before landing at the University of Denver. Biffle was known as "the one-man track...
's golden medal jump.
After earning his bachelor's degree in engineering in 1953, Gourdine became an officer in the United States Navy. In 1960 he earned a doctorate in engineering from 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...
working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
from 1958-60. He founded a research laboratory, Gourdine Laboratories, in Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
and a company, Energy Innovation, in Houston. The companies developed engineering techniques to aid removing smoke from buildings and disperse fog from airport runways, and converting low-grade coal into inexpensive, transportable and high-voltage electrical energy. He was inducted to the Dayton, Ohio, Engineering and Science Hall of Fame in 1994. He also served as a Trustee of Cornell University.