William Paul Fife
Encyclopedia
Colonel
William Paul "Bill" Fife USAF (Ret)
(November 23, 1917 – October 13, 2008) was a United States Air Force
officer that first proved the feasibility for U.S. Air Force Security Service
airborne Communications Intelligence (COMINT) collection and Fife is considered the "Father of Airborne Intercept". Fife was also a hyperbaric medicine specialist who was known for his pioneering research on pressurized environments ranging from high altitude to underwater habitat
s. Fife was a Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University
.
from the University of Washington
in 1935 and had started his first year of medical school
when World War II
began. Fife earned a bachelor of science
in biology
from the University of Oregon
in 1956. He later completed a Ph.D.
in physiology
at Ohio State University
in 1962.
Fife was a Certified Hyperbaric Technologist (CHT) through the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology
.
in U.S. Army
in June 1939. Fife then reported to the 15th Infantry at Fort Lewis
, Washington for training in Aug 1940. After receiving his basic infantry training, he reported to the 60th Infantry at Fort Bragg
in North Carolina where he served as an Assistant Operations Officer in September 1940. Fife volunteered for the 18th class of Parachute
Jump School in Fort Benning
, Georgia in April 1942. Following his training in May 1942, he joined the newly formed 503rd parachute infantry battalion as Company Commander
. As Company Commanding Officer of the 503rd parachute infantry regiment in Sept 1943, Fife led his company in a jump in the Markham Valley, New Guinea. This was the first successful airborne combat jump in the Pacific Theater of Operations
. His first combat jump was planned with the ground elevation
500 feet lower than it actually was and Fife found himself in a coconut tree
. Fife had completed 35 training and combat jumps by the time WWII ended.
Fife reported to the U.S. Army FE Head Quarters Office of Intelligence in January 1944 then to the 68th Airborne Air Control Squadrons (AACS) combat operations in SW Pacific in September. He then went on to the 141st AACS special ops in New Guinea & P.I. in January 1945. Fife reported to the AACS Head Quarters Office of Intelligence in Washington, DC in August 1945. Hoping for a chance to ride in the planes more often, Fife transferred to the Air Force
in November 1947 where he was immediately sent to the Defense Language Institute
to learn Russian
. He became the first Russian linguist of the USAF Security Service
(USAFSS) command. Fife was among the first inductees to the Defense Language Institute Hall of Fame.
Fife was sent to 1st Radio Squadron Mobile, Johnson Air Base
, Japan
during the Allied Occupation where he earned the unofficial title, “Father of USAFSS Command in the Far East”. Part of his duties included intelligence briefings for General Douglas MacArthur
. Russian forces were beginning to build up and the Far East Air Force needs were changing, Fife proposed airborne Communications Intelligence (COMINT) collection. In 1950, Fife planned and flew the first USAF Security Service reconnaissance mission
s from Kadena Air Base
over the Sea of Japan
with a wire recorder
and jury-rigged receiver on an RB-29 air plane. As a result of these missions proved the feasibility for USAFSS airborne COMINT collection and Fife is considered the "Father of Airborne Intercept". He also managed to earn a first degree black belt
. In 2006, Fife was inducted into the Air Intelligence Agency Hall of Honor.
Fife was then sent to North Korea
where he served as USAFSS 1st RSM’s liaison officer to Fifth Air Force Head Quarters located in Kim Il-sung's
palace and stayed until the then Capt. Fife, ordered the evacuation of USAFSS COMINT personnel as Chinese
entered the Korean War
. Fife's position was the beginning of the future USAFSS Special Security Office
program. In 1951, Fife set up USAFSS linguist team operations in Pyeongtaek
with the 606th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
. Fife had a great respect for the Korean operators he worked with noting they were "the best I have ever seen".
In 1951, Fife returned to Japan until transfer to Moscow
shortly after Stalin
died. Lieutenant Colonel
Fife, with his wife Ann, served as Assistant Air Attaché at the U.S. Embassy with military intelligence
as a Russian expert. Following his time in Moscow, he spent time at The Pentagon
as the Intelligence Briefing Officer for General Twining
and General LeMay
. Colonel
Fife translated for President Dwight D. Eisenhower
a radio transmission from a Soviet fighter pilot intercepted after shooting down a USAF C-130
ACRP (60528) over Armenia
in September 1958.
In 1962, after obtaining his Ph.D., he served as Assistant Chief of the Aerospace Medical Research Division at Brooks Air Force Base
, San Antonio, Texas
where he performed research essential to the space race
. His work was in cardiovascular responses and measurement tools critical for tests of g-force
and near-vacuum survival. The Air Force did not have a training program in hyperbaric medicine so Fife was trained by the Navy. His first test dive was performed with Micky Goodwin and Robert Workman.
Col. Fife retired from the Air Force in 1967.
He retired from Texas A&M in 1997.
Fife was a pioneer in undersea medicine
and served as director of the Texas A&M University Hyperbaric laboratory.
Fife was active with the HydroLab saturation diving
research program funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Fife was an aquanaut
having spent 28 days in saturation in the habitat
performing physiology experiments.
The first uses of hydrox
,a gas mixture of hydrogen
and oxygen
is used as a breathing gas
in very deep diving
are usually attributed to six ocean dive trials by the Swedish engineer, Arne Zetterström
in 1945. Fife later showed that hydrox would allow divers to descend and work at great depths. Fife also developed the first decompression tables for the use of the mixture. The French engineering company COMEX (Compagnie maritime d'expertises) later applied Fife's work in developing their HYDRA dive series.
Much of his other diving medical research was focused on women in diving and spinal cord
decompression sickness
.
Fife's interest in clinical hyperbaric medicine lead to several research projects to look for new indications for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
. It has been estimated that about half of the 2,000 patient treatments
done by his lab were for research.
These projects included the treatment of:
HyperTrak clinical documentation software
, marketed by Intellicure, Inc., was started at Texas A&M University with Dr. Fife and David Walker in 1996.
, the American Physiological Society
, Sigma Xi
and served on the Executive Committee for the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society
and as Chairman of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences
Award for Distinguished Research to Fife in 1983 and their Oceaneering
Award for Research in 1994. On his 78th birthday in 1995, Fife and a team from Diving Diseases Research Centre
received "The Duke of Edinburgh's
Prize of the British Sub-Aqua Club" which was presented by H.R.H.
Prince Phillip
for their work on "Men and Women in Diving".
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
William Paul "Bill" Fife USAF (Ret)
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(November 23, 1917 – October 13, 2008) was a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
officer that first proved the feasibility for U.S. Air Force Security Service
U.S. Air Force Security Service
The United States Air Force Security Service was essentially the United States Air Force's cryptographic intelligence branch; its motto was Freedom through Vigilance. It was created in October 1948 and operated until 1979, when the branch was re-designated the Electronic Security Command...
airborne Communications Intelligence (COMINT) collection and Fife is considered the "Father of Airborne Intercept". Fife was also a hyperbaric medicine specialist who was known for his pioneering research on pressurized environments ranging from high altitude to underwater habitat
Underwater habitat
Underwater habitats are underwater structures in which people can live for extended periods and carry out most of the basic human functions of a 24-hour day, such as working, resting, eating, attending to personal hygiene, and sleeping...
s. Fife was a Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
.
Education
Fife began his training in anatomyAnatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1935 and had started his first year of medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
when World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began. Fife earned a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 1956. He later completed a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1962.
Fife was a Certified Hyperbaric Technologist (CHT) through the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology
National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology
National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology , formally known as the National Association of Diving Technicians, is a non-profit organization devoted to the education and certification of qualified personnel in the fields of diving and hyperbaric medicine.-History:The professional...
.
Military career
Fife left medical school and was commissioned Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in June 1939. Fife then reported to the 15th Infantry at Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington for training in Aug 1940. After receiving his basic infantry training, he reported to the 60th Infantry at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
in North Carolina where he served as an Assistant Operations Officer in September 1940. Fife volunteered for the 18th class of Parachute
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
Jump School in Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia in April 1942. Following his training in May 1942, he joined the newly formed 503rd parachute infantry battalion as Company Commander
Company Commander
A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 350 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons....
. As Company Commanding Officer of the 503rd parachute infantry regiment in Sept 1943, Fife led his company in a jump in the Markham Valley, New Guinea. This was the first successful airborne combat jump in the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
. His first combat jump was planned with the ground elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
500 feet lower than it actually was and Fife found himself in a coconut tree
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
. Fife had completed 35 training and combat jumps by the time WWII ended.
Fife reported to the U.S. Army FE Head Quarters Office of Intelligence in January 1944 then to the 68th Airborne Air Control Squadrons (AACS) combat operations in SW Pacific in September. He then went on to the 141st AACS special ops in New Guinea & P.I. in January 1945. Fife reported to the AACS Head Quarters Office of Intelligence in Washington, DC in August 1945. Hoping for a chance to ride in the planes more often, Fife transferred to the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in November 1947 where he was immediately sent to the Defense Language Institute
Defense Language Institute
The Defense Language Institute is a United States Department of Defense educational and research institution, which provides linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other Federal Agencies and numerous and varied other customers...
to learn Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. He became the first Russian linguist of the USAF Security Service
U.S. Air Force Security Service
The United States Air Force Security Service was essentially the United States Air Force's cryptographic intelligence branch; its motto was Freedom through Vigilance. It was created in October 1948 and operated until 1979, when the branch was re-designated the Electronic Security Command...
(USAFSS) command. Fife was among the first inductees to the Defense Language Institute Hall of Fame.
Fife was sent to 1st Radio Squadron Mobile, Johnson Air Base
Iruma Air Base
is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base located in the city of Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, north of western Tokyo, Japan.Iruma Air Base is currently home to the Air Defense Command Headquarters Flight Group...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the Allied Occupation where he earned the unofficial title, “Father of USAFSS Command in the Far East”. Part of his duties included intelligence briefings for General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. Russian forces were beginning to build up and the Far East Air Force needs were changing, Fife proposed airborne Communications Intelligence (COMINT) collection. In 1950, Fife planned and flew the first USAF Security Service reconnaissance mission
Surveillance aircraft
A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance — collecting information over time. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, observation , border patrol and fishery...
s from Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
over the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
with a wire recorder
Wire recording
Wire recording is a type of analog audio storage in which a magnetic recording is made on thin steel or stainless steel wire.The wire is pulled rapidly across a recording head which magnetizes each point along the wire in accordance with the intensity and polarity of the electrical audio signal...
and jury-rigged receiver on an RB-29 air plane. As a result of these missions proved the feasibility for USAFSS airborne COMINT collection and Fife is considered the "Father of Airborne Intercept". He also managed to earn a first degree black belt
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
. In 2006, Fife was inducted into the Air Intelligence Agency Hall of Honor.
Fife was then sent to North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
where he served as USAFSS 1st RSM’s liaison officer to Fifth Air Force Head Quarters located in Kim Il-sung's
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
palace and stayed until the then Capt. Fife, ordered the evacuation of USAFSS COMINT personnel as Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
entered the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Fife's position was the beginning of the future USAFSS Special Security Office
Special Security Office
The Special Security Office is a function within multiple arms of the United States federal government and armed forces with the mission to provide a reliable and secure means to receive and disseminate Sensitive Compartmented Information and Special Access Programs to authorized recipients in...
program. In 1951, Fife set up USAFSS linguist team operations in Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
with the 606th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
502nd Tactical Control Group
The 502nd Tactical Control Group was a United States Air Force unit that fought in the Korean War. The unit was attached to Far East Air Forces Fifth Air ForceOperational Units:* 605th Tactical Control Squadron: duration....
. Fife had a great respect for the Korean operators he worked with noting they were "the best I have ever seen".
In 1951, Fife returned to Japan until transfer to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
shortly after Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
died. Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Fife, with his wife Ann, served as Assistant Air Attaché at the U.S. Embassy with military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
as a Russian expert. Following his time in Moscow, he spent time at The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
as the Intelligence Briefing Officer for General Twining
Nathan Farragut Twining
Nathan Farragut Twining, KBE was a United States Air Force General, born in Monroe, Wisconsin. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1953 until 1957...
and General LeMay
Curtis LeMay
Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....
. Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Fife translated for President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
a radio transmission from a Soviet fighter pilot intercepted after shooting down a USAF C-130
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
ACRP (60528) over Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
in September 1958.
In 1962, after obtaining his Ph.D., he served as Assistant Chief of the Aerospace Medical Research Division at Brooks Air Force Base
Brooks City-Base
Brooks City-Base was a United States Air Force facility located in San Antonio, Texas, southeast of Downtown San Antonio.In 2002 Brooks Air Force Base was renamed Brooks City-Base when the property was conveyed to the Brooks Development Authority as part of a unique project between local, state,...
, San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
where he performed research essential to the space race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
. His work was in cardiovascular responses and measurement tools critical for tests of g-force
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
and near-vacuum survival. The Air Force did not have a training program in hyperbaric medicine so Fife was trained by the Navy. His first test dive was performed with Micky Goodwin and Robert Workman.
Col. Fife retired from the Air Force in 1967.
Academic career
Dr. Fife joined the Texas A&M University Department of Biology faculty in 1967. In his time there he served as the Chairman of the Biology Department, Dean of Research and Vice President for Academic Affairs as well as chairman for numerous academic committees.He retired from Texas A&M in 1997.
Contributions to hyperbaric medicine
Diving medicine
Diving medicine, also called undersea and hyperbaric medicine , is the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of conditions caused by humans entering the undersea environment...
and served as director of the Texas A&M University Hyperbaric laboratory.
Fife was active with the HydroLab saturation diving
Saturation diving
Saturation diving is a diving technique that allows divers to reduce the risk of decompression sickness when they work at great depth for long periods of time....
research program funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
. Fife was an aquanaut
Aquanaut
An Aquanaut is any individual who remains underwater, exposed to the ambient pressure, long enough to come into equilibrium with his or her breathing media. Usually this is done in an underwater habitat on the seafloor for a period equal to or greater than 24 continuous hours without returning to...
having spent 28 days in saturation in the habitat
Underwater habitat
Underwater habitats are underwater structures in which people can live for extended periods and carry out most of the basic human functions of a 24-hour day, such as working, resting, eating, attending to personal hygiene, and sleeping...
performing physiology experiments.
The first uses of hydrox
Hydrox (breathing gas)
Hydrox, a gas mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, is used as a breathing gas in very deep diving. It allows divers to descend several hundred metres....
,a gas mixture of hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
and oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
is used as a breathing gas
Breathing gas
Breathing gas is a mixture of gaseous chemical elements and compounds used for respiration.Air is the most common and only natural breathing gas...
in very deep diving
Deep diving
The meaning of the term deep diving is a form of technical diving. It is defined by the level of the diver's diver training, diving equipment, breathing gas, and surface support:...
are usually attributed to six ocean dive trials by the Swedish engineer, Arne Zetterström
Arne Zetterström
Arne Zetterström is best known for his research with the breathing mixture hydrox for the Swedish Navy.Zetterström first described the use of hydrogen as a breathing gas in 1943...
in 1945. Fife later showed that hydrox would allow divers to descend and work at great depths. Fife also developed the first decompression tables for the use of the mixture. The French engineering company COMEX (Compagnie maritime d'expertises) later applied Fife's work in developing their HYDRA dive series.
Much of his other diving medical research was focused on women in diving and spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
decompression sickness
Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...
.
Fife's interest in clinical hyperbaric medicine lead to several research projects to look for new indications for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Hyperbaric medicine, also known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy , is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. The equipment required consists of a pressure chamber, which may be of rigid or flexible construction, and a means of delivering 100% oxygen...
. It has been estimated that about half of the 2,000 patient treatments
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
done by his lab were for research.
These projects included the treatment of:
- squamous cell carcinoma in mice with hydrox;
- migraine headache;
- Post-polio syndrome;
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome;
- radionecrosis;
- brown recluse spiderBrown recluse spiderThe brown recluse spider or violin spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is a member of the family Sicariidae . The spider has a venomous bite....
bites; - non-union fractures;
- closed head injury;
- chronic Lyme diseaseLyme diseaseLyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
.
HyperTrak clinical documentation software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
, marketed by Intellicure, Inc., was started at Texas A&M University with Dr. Fife and David Walker in 1996.
Professional societies
Fife was a member of the Aerospace Medical AssociationAerospace Medical Association
The Aerospace Medical Association is the largest professional organization in the fields of aviation, space, and environmental medicine. The AsMA membership includes aerospace and hyperbaric medicine specialists, scientists, flight nurses, physiologists, and researchers from all over the world.-...
, the American Physiological Society
American Physiological Society
The American Physiological Society was founded in 1887 with 28 members. Of them, 21 were graduates of medical schools, but only 12 had studied in schools that had a professor of physiology. Today, the APS has 10,500 members, most of whom hold doctoral degrees in medicine, physiology or other...
, Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
and served on the Executive Committee for the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society is the primary source of information for diving and hyperbaric medicine physiology worldwide.-History:The Undersea Medical Society grew from the close associations of a small group of scientists...
and as Chairman of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences
American Academy of Underwater Sciences
The American Academy of Underwater Sciences is a group of Scientific organizations and individual members who conduct scientific and educational activities underwater...
Awards
Texas A&M University presented Fife with the University Outstanding Award for Teaching in 1975. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society conveyed their Paul BertPaul Bert
Paul Bert was a French zoologist, physiologist and politician. He is sometimes given the sobriquet "Father of Aviation Medicine".-Life:Bert was born at Auxerre...
Award for Distinguished Research to Fife in 1983 and their Oceaneering
Oceaneering International
Oceaneering International Inc. is an applied technology company based in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. that provides engineered services and hardware to customers who operate in marine, space, and other environments...
Award for Research in 1994. On his 78th birthday in 1995, Fife and a team from Diving Diseases Research Centre
Diving Diseases Research Centre
The Diving Diseases Research Centre is a British hyperbaric medical organisation located near Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon. It is a registered charity and was established in 1980 to research the effects of diving on human physiology....
received "The Duke of Edinburgh's
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
Prize of the British Sub-Aqua Club" which was presented by H.R.H.
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
Prince Phillip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
for their work on "Men and Women in Diving".
External links
- Select publications by William P Fife, hosted by the Rubicon FoundationRubicon FoundationRubicon Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization devoted to contributing to the interdependent dynamic between research, exploration, science and education. The foundation, started in 2002, is located in Durham, North Carolina and is primarily supported by donations and grants. Funding has...