Grissom Classic on June 24;Special Guest: Dr. Barrett Caldwell

JASPER, Ind. – – HE HAS NO HANDICAP, but that is not to say he's a scratch golfer. One could say his “game” is out of this world, and be more right than wrong.

“He” is Dr. Barrett Caldwell, a profess- or in the depart- ments of Industrial Engineering, and Aeronautics and Astronautics, at Purdue University. Dr. Caldwell will be at Sultan’s Run on Thursday, June 24, as special guest of the Purdue Alumni Club of the Dubois County Area as the Club launches the 2010 version of the Virgil “Gus” Grissom Memorial Golf Classic and Scholarship Banquet. Dr. Cald- well’s presentation will introduce Club members to his careers in engineering, aeronautics and astronautics.

His research in the latter focuses on “the human factor”
of spaceflight. He also manages the NASA-funded Space Grant Consortium for the State of Indiana.

“Every time I wear the Purdue logo, there is a chance for me to do outreach,” Dr. Caldwell said last week, and that will be the grist of his visit to next month’s Grissom Class- ic. All Dubois County students who enjoy science and aeronautics, ALL students – freshmen through seniors – who have dreamed of serving as astronauts are urged to attend the upcoming Grissom Classic. Already, Dr. Cald- well is ready to talk with you, answer your questions and show you “The Purdue Advantage” in engineering, aero- nautics and astronautics. And why not?

"Purdue has educated more astronauts than any other public university," he added. "No other school is even close." At last count, Purdue had sent twenty-one alumni onto the active roster of NASA astronauts. Half of them are still on active duty.

For the record, it was Purdue that educated astronauts Grissom, his Apollo 1 crewmate Roger Chaffee, and moonwalkers Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan.

In addition to Dubois County’s students of all ages, the Club’s directors invite all Purdue alumni, all fans and all friends to enjoy the day with them and the golfing public.

This marks the sixteenth annual Grissom Classic, which
is a fund-raiser for the Club’s Grissom Scholarship Fund. Each year, four Grissom scholarships are awarded to Pur- due-bound freshmen who have graduated from Dubois County’s five high schools. This year’s Grissom scholars are being announced this week and last at awards ceremonies in their respective schools. The Club will present scholar- ship checks to the winners at the scholarship banquet.

The Grissom Scholarship is named in honor of Virgil “Gus” Grissom of Mitchell, Ind. Grissom graduated from Purdue in 1950, served in Korea, and was named as one of Ameri- ca’s “Original Seven” astronauts on April 9, 1959.

To reserve your meal or tee-time, whether you golf as an individual or in a foursome, please contact Classic Chair- man Craig Knies at ph.: 634-1635 or through E-mail at c.knies@insightbb.com. We’ll see you on the 24th!