Historical Photo of the Month - April 2004

Dr. William H. Pickering, 1910-2004

Dr. Pickering, former long-time Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, passed away on March 15, 2004. He came to JPL in 1944 and was Director from 1954 - 1976. During his distinguished career, the Laboratory made major contributions first to guided missile development for the U.S. Army, and then to robotic exploration of the solar system for NASA. Dr. Pickering retired from JPL on March 31, 1976.

The April Historical Photo of the Month, which is actually comprised of 10 images, is dedicated to Dr. Pickering. Links are provided to a number of additional sources of information, including past Historical Photos of the Month, the on-line exhibit "Faces of Leadership: the Directors of JPL", articles, press releases, and archival collections.

Historical Photos of the Month
New JPL Director
NASA Head Visits Caltech
Miss Guided Missile of 1955
Presenting Mariner 4 Photo to President Johnson

Faces of Leadership: the Directors of JPL On-line Exhibit
JPL Stories: "Jet Propulsion Laboratory - the Early Years" Article about a presentation by Dr. William Pickering, January 18, 2001
JPL Press Release - William H. Pickering, Former Director of JPL, Dies (March 16, 2004)
JPL Universe - Article about Dr. Pickering (March 26, 2004)
NASA Press Release - NASA Remembers William H. Pickering, Former Director Of JPL (March 16, 2004)
NASA History Office Short Pickering Biography
New Zealand Edge Pickering Biography

Dr. Pickering's records may be found in the JPL Archives Catalog and the Caltech Archives Catalog.

Past Photos of the Month
Thumbnail pages 1996-2002 | 2003+

Past Photos of the Month Subject Index