John O'Keefe, 83, Dies Proved Earth's Shape: - September 10, 2000
John O'Keefe, 83, a retired NASA scientist who in the late 1950s mathematically established that Earth's spherical shape was out of round by some 45 feet, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, died of liver cancer Sept. 8 at an assisted-living facility in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Dr. O'Keefe, an astronomer by training, and colleagues at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt were among the first scientists to survey Earth's land surface by analyzing data from satellites.
In 1959, they announced findings showing that the elliptical orbit of a small satellite, Vanguard 1, was periodically perturbed. They concluded that Earth was slightly bulgier south of the equator than north.
Dubbed "the pear-shaped Earth" by the press, the discovery attracted worldwide attention.
Dr. O'Keefe, who later became assistant chief of the theoretical division at Goddard, also took part in scientific experiment planning for the Mercury astronauts and promoted the use of hand-held cameras for geologic orbital photography, a development that eventually led to Landsat satellites' recording of global land surface images.
Dr. O'Keefe, who retired from NASA in 1995, spent the latter part of his career focusing on the origins of tektites, a glassy substance of unknown origins found on Earth. He traveled to various parts of the world to examine tektites, seeking geologic evidence to support his theory that they came from the moon.
A Chevy Chase resident for 50 years, he was a native of Lynn, Mass. He graduated from Harvard University in 1937 and received a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago.
After an unsuccessful effort to enlist in the Army, he served in the Army Map Service, working on improving topographic maps of Europe. After World War II, he spent several months in China, retrieving geodetic data before the Communist takeover in 1949.
Survivors include his wife, Martha O'Keefe, of Sioux Falls; two sons, George O'Keefe of Bethesda and John Cavanough-O'Keefe of Damascus; six daughters, Katherine O'Keefe of Leesburg, Mary Daly of Sioux Falls, S.D., Emily Koczela of Milwaukee, Jane Meyerhofer of Leesburg, Lucy Hancock of Washington and Rachel Bohlin of Sante Fe, N.M.; a sister, Mary Gravalos of Washington; a brother, Edward S. O'Keefe of West Virginia; and 27 grandchildren. Another son, Roy O'Keefe, died in 1968.
John O'Keefe, 83, a retired NASA scientist who in the late 1950s mathematically established that Earth's spherical shape was out of round by some 45 feet, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, died of liver cancer Sept. 8 at an assisted-living facility in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Dr. O'Keefe, an astronomer by training, and colleagues at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt were among the first scientists to survey Earth's land surface by analyzing data from satellites.
In 1959, they announced findings showing that the elliptical orbit of a small satellite, Vanguard 1, was periodically perturbed. They concluded that Earth was slightly bulgier south of the equator than north.
Dubbed "the pear-shaped Earth" by the press, the discovery attracted worldwide attention.
Dr. O'Keefe, who later became assistant chief of the theoretical division at Goddard, also took part in scientific experiment planning for the Mercury astronauts and promoted the use of hand-held cameras for geologic orbital photography, a development that eventually led to Landsat satellites' recording of global land surface images.
Dr. O'Keefe, who retired from NASA in 1995, spent the latter part of his career focusing on the origins of tektites, a glassy substance of unknown origins found on Earth. He traveled to various parts of the world to examine tektites, seeking geologic evidence to support his theory that they came from the moon.
A Chevy Chase resident for 50 years, he was a native of Lynn, Mass. He graduated from Harvard University in 1937 and received a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago.
After an unsuccessful effort to enlist in the Army, he served in the Army Map Service, working on improving topographic maps of Europe. After World War II, he spent several months in China, retrieving geodetic data before the Communist takeover in 1949.
Survivors include his wife, Martha O'Keefe, of Sioux Falls; two sons, George O'Keefe of Bethesda and John Cavanough-O'Keefe of Damascus; six daughters, Katherine O'Keefe of Leesburg, Mary Daly of Sioux Falls, S.D., Emily Koczela of Milwaukee, Jane Meyerhofer of Leesburg, Lucy Hancock of Washington and Rachel Bohlin of Sante Fe, N.M.; a sister, Mary Gravalos of Washington; a brother, Edward S. O'Keefe of West Virginia; and 27 grandchildren. Another son, Roy O'Keefe, died in 1968.
John O'Keefe, 83, Dies Proved Earth's Shape: - September 10, 2000
John O'Keefe, 83, a retired NASA scientist who in the late 1950s mathematically established that Earth's spherical shape was out of round by some 45 feet, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, died of liver cancer Sept. 8 at an assisted-living facility in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Dr. O'Keefe, an astronomer by training, and colleagues at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt were among the first scientists to survey Earth's land surface by analyzing data from satellites.
In 1959, they announced findings showing that the elliptical orbit of a small satellite, Vanguard 1, was periodically perturbed. They concluded that Earth was slightly bulgier south of the equator than north.
Dubbed "the pear-shaped Earth" by the press, the discovery attracted worldwide attention.
Dr. O'Keefe, who later became assistant chief of the theoretical division at Goddard, also took part in scientific experiment planning for the Mercury astronauts and promoted the use of hand-held cameras for geologic orbital photography, a development that eventually led to Landsat satellites' recording of global land surface images.
Dr. O'Keefe, who retired from NASA in 1995, spent the latter part of his career focusing on the origins of tektites, a glassy substance of unknown origins found on Earth. He traveled to various parts of the world to examine tektites, seeking geologic evidence to support his theory that they came from the moon.
A Chevy Chase resident for 50 years, he was a native of Lynn, Mass. He graduated from Harvard University in 1937 and received a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago.
After an unsuccessful effort to enlist in the Army, he served in the Army Map Service, working on improving topographic maps of Europe. After World War II, he spent several months in China, retrieving geodetic data before the Communist takeover in 1949.
Survivors include his wife, Martha O'Keefe, of Sioux Falls; two sons, George O'Keefe of Bethesda and John Cavanough-O'Keefe of Damascus; six daughters, Katherine O'Keefe of Leesburg, Mary Daly of Sioux Falls, S.D., Emily Koczela of Milwaukee, Jane Meyerhofer of Leesburg, Lucy Hancock of Washington and Rachel Bohlin of Sante Fe, N.M.; a sister, Mary Gravalos of Washington; a brother, Edward S. O'Keefe of West Virginia; and 27 grandchildren. Another son, Roy O'Keefe, died in 1968.
John O'Keefe, 83, a retired NASA scientist who in the late 1950s mathematically established that Earth's spherical shape was out of round by some 45 feet, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, died of liver cancer Sept. 8 at an assisted-living facility in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Dr. O'Keefe, an astronomer by training, and colleagues at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt were among the first scientists to survey Earth's land surface by analyzing data from satellites.
In 1959, they announced findings showing that the elliptical orbit of a small satellite, Vanguard 1, was periodically perturbed. They concluded that Earth was slightly bulgier south of the equator than north.
Dubbed "the pear-shaped Earth" by the press, the discovery attracted worldwide attention.
Dr. O'Keefe, who later became assistant chief of the theoretical division at Goddard, also took part in scientific experiment planning for the Mercury astronauts and promoted the use of hand-held cameras for geologic orbital photography, a development that eventually led to Landsat satellites' recording of global land surface images.
Dr. O'Keefe, who retired from NASA in 1995, spent the latter part of his career focusing on the origins of tektites, a glassy substance of unknown origins found on Earth. He traveled to various parts of the world to examine tektites, seeking geologic evidence to support his theory that they came from the moon.
A Chevy Chase resident for 50 years, he was a native of Lynn, Mass. He graduated from Harvard University in 1937 and received a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago.
After an unsuccessful effort to enlist in the Army, he served in the Army Map Service, working on improving topographic maps of Europe. After World War II, he spent several months in China, retrieving geodetic data before the Communist takeover in 1949.
Survivors include his wife, Martha O'Keefe, of Sioux Falls; two sons, George O'Keefe of Bethesda and John Cavanough-O'Keefe of Damascus; six daughters, Katherine O'Keefe of Leesburg, Mary Daly of Sioux Falls, S.D., Emily Koczela of Milwaukee, Jane Meyerhofer of Leesburg, Lucy Hancock of Washington and Rachel Bohlin of Sante Fe, N.M.; a sister, Mary Gravalos of Washington; a brother, Edward S. O'Keefe of West Virginia; and 27 grandchildren. Another son, Roy O'Keefe, died in 1968.
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