Disher, John H.

John Howard Disher was born in Olmstead, North Dakota on December 23, 1921. He earned a B.S. of science in mechanical engineering from the University of North Dakota in 1943. Disher joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, a predecessor of NASA. In 1951, Disher was named head of Free Flight Research Section. NASA appointed Disher Project Engineer of the task group formed to oversee the Mercury Program. In 1960 he was named Head of Advanced Manned Missions and became Assistant Director for Apollo Spacecraft Development. In 1974 he became the Director of Advanced Programs, Manned Space Flight and held this post until his retirement from NASA in 1980. After his retirement from NASA, he became an aerospace consultant and formed his own company, Avanti Systems. From 1986 until his death in 1988, Disher served on the University of North Dakota School of Engineering and Mines Advisory Council. John Howard Disher died in Bethesda, Maryland on August 27, 1988. He was survived by his sons, James and John Thomas, and by his wife, Lillian Helen Rusnak Disher, whom he married in Cleveland, Ohio on April 9, 1948.

From the description of Papers, 1945-1993. (University of North Dakota). WorldCat record id: 48872412

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