"The space shuttle was a compromise design and not the spacecraft NASA engineers wanted to build," Hickam says. "In this, I was joined by Quentin [Quentin Wilson, a hometown friend who would later become an engineer] and the other Rocket Boys, but mostly Quentin who taught me a crude form of the scientific method he called 'body of knowledge'. He came to Texas to find work in the oil business.He settled in Amarillo in 1973 with Santa Fe Energy and now is an independent engineer married to Janice Birkholz. "Quentin Wilson" redirects here. When they begin hanging out, Sonny's mom Elsie is quick to take Quentin under her wing. There is a lot of space junk orbiting Earth, consisting of old satellites and fragments that have broken away from them. Quentin Wilson (born November 21, 1942 in William Poca, West Virginia) is an American engineer and is one of the original Rocket Boys. Though Quentin starts out as an outsider and a bit of a know-it-all in Homer Hickam's October Sky, he becomes a valuable member of the BCMA and a strong friend to Sonny. His family's monetary struggles are no secret. Together this group built several rockets and competed in a National Science Fair. Sonny teams up with Miss Reily, his teacher, and his friends, to make a rocket for the science fair, hoping to earn money. Quentin is portrayed by Chris Owen. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. Quentin Wilson (born November 21, 1942 in William Poca, West Virginia) is an American engineer and is one of the original Rocket Boys. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 2023 The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. It's not that there is necessarily anything wrong with Quentin. Quentin Wilson, nerd of the school; dorky/used for his brain. Quentin is survived by his wife Janice Knighton Birkholz, daughters Laura Wilson of Hillsboro, OR, Jocelyn (Jocie) Buchanan and husband Kent of Amarillo TX, and Heather Wilson Hillsboro, OR; a sister Dr. Keren Brown Wilson of Happy Valley, OR; and grandchildren Lance Corp. Emilio Buchanan USMC, and Justin Buchanan. the Rocket Boy who limped because of his polic. For the English TV presenter, motoring journalist, author and TV producer, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=October_Sky_(book)&oldid=1125105992, Articles needing additional references from January 2019, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 06:12. will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. In . Though he and Sonny sometimes butt heads, they develop respect for each other. Quentin makes this dream happen and goes on to become an engineer. Struggling with distance learning? In 1998, retired NASA engineer and McDowell County native Homer Hickam published his boyhood memoir, Rocket Boys. In 1999, Universal Studios released . Association(s) He is the son of Wiley Clay Cooke and Carrie Austin Cooke of Coalwood, in McDowell County, West Virginia. It probably won't surprise you to learn that he does make his dream of college come true. Rocket Boys was made into a film in 1999, titled October Sky (an anagram of "Rocket Boys"). Tabor, Mason. Wilson has three daughters and travels extensively speaking about the rocket boys" childhood. Just like Sonny, Quentin dreams of working with NASA someday. Wilson attended Big Creek High School with Homer Hickam and the rest of the Rocket Boys. Inspired by the launch of Sputnik, they formed the BCMA - the big Creek Missile Agency - and began building rockets on their own. He currently resides in Amarillo, Texas. The concept, if successful, could solve the problem of intermittent electricity production that hampers the integration of renewable energy systems to the electric grid. Big Creek Missile Agency He's often responsible for obtaining materials for the BCMA's rocket designs, and while his schemes often fail, he's responsible for many important rocket supplies. He is a strong believer in the scientific method, and helps the other boys see how important it is to take. He settled in Amarillo in 1973 with Santa Fe Energy and now is an independent engineer married to Janice Birkholz. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He Graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelor Degree in Chemistry, and did post graduate work at West TX State University. A report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory sets the groundwork for identifying stakeholders and designing new systems. Sonny, however, is terrible at sports and has no special skill that would get him "out of Coalwood". The work at the mine is horrific, but honorable, and so Homer Jr, or Sonny as he is called, feels pressured into work in the mine. In December, Homer Hickam Jr. went up to Quentin in the school gym in order to get his help on the math for the rocketry. After Hickam and his friends won Gold at the 1960 National Science Fair, he went on to college and eventually, at the age of 38, joined NASA. A math and science whiz, he helps Homer and his friends develop their rockets and make improvements as. This article is a stub. A celebration of Quentins life will be held on Saturday, September 07, 2019 at 2pm in the First Presbyterian Church, 1100 S. Harrison, with Brady Clark presiding. Ultimately, O'Dell becomes a farmer. But he hates mining. Sonny's choice to ask Quentin for help building rockets is a good one, and the two become the first official members of the BCMA. October Sky is based on the book, The Rocket Boys, by Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr. His moving memoir, set in the 1950s, tells the story of six teenagers growing up in the West Virginia coal mining town of Coalwood. the inspirational physics and cemistry teacher who helped the Rocket Boys. 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In the movie October Sky, he is called Homer.) He is a hard-working, furrow-browed man who is deeply committed to sacrifice and honor. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Reverend Josiah Lanier is the preacher for Coalwoods main church, which is owned by the same mining company that dominates town life. That meant to even establish the parameters of rocket performance, we had to essentially teach ourselves calculus and differential equations, not to mention how to weld and operate a metal lathe and a milling machine," saysHickam. Mr. McDuff. 39 lessons. Quentin Taylor Wilson, 76, of Amarillo passed away on Friday, August 30, 2019. Auk 1 flies six feet before the solder melts, and the nozzle, a washer, separates from the casement. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Quentin carries around books all the time because he's always studying. blamed Mr. Hickam for his dad's death; thrown out of Coalwood by the sheriff. Chris Owen The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. He died in Amarillo Education He graduated from Marshall University and Big Creek High School What was Quentin's zodiac sign? "[I was] already well-established as an expert in the development of computerized management information systems for the U.S. Army," he says. Those who have seen the film have been moved and inspired by the heart, determination, and ingenuity of these all-American boys. As if his vocabulary and fake accent aren't enough, he also carries around an ''old, cracked-leather briefcase'' almost bursting with the books he can be seen reading all the time. Behind his seeming arrogance is a determination to overcome his family's poverty and get to college. You see, unlike Sonny, whose parents will be able to send both their sons to college, Quentin says his parents ''just barely keep me and my sisters in clothes and corn bread.'' Sherman. the BCMA's chief scrounger. October Sky was followed by The Coalwood Way (2000), Sky of Stone (2002), and Carrying Albert Home (2015). Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. "Eventually, I did it because I realized I had a need to learn things that seemed hidden from me," he says. He was 76 years old when he died. What else do we know about this character in Homer Hickam's 'October Sky'? You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Why? November 21, 1942 (William Poca, WV) 2023 The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 4301 Darrow Road That's exactly what ends up happening with the Big Creek Missile Agency (BCMA). Jimmy O'Dell Carroll. Quentin Wilson is an American engineer and is one of the original Rocket Boys. Instant PDF downloads. It's a film that tells the story of a teenager in a small coal mining town in West Virginia who has little chance to escape the minesuntil he finds a love and ability for rocketry. He worked as a chemist in Midland TX, and as a petroleum engineer living in Texas and Oklahoma. A Coalwood local, popular with teenagers, who hosts lavish parties and loves to play rock 'n roll music. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. A member of the BCMA who joins later than his peers, An adventurous, flirtatious Big Creek High School student who often expresses her attraction to, A worker at the Coalwood machine store who provides. Sign up for service and obituary updates. With our last designs, our rockets went supersonic within a half-second of ignition. Quentin Wilson is one of the more intelligent members of the Rocket Boys, the one who does the most math. Quentin was preceded in death by his parents Eston Wilson, and Jessie F. Richardson Wilson; Brother Richard Wilson, and sisters Eula Vee Wallace, Dona Sanders, and Bonnie Huckaby. In fact, when he's checking Sonny's work over and finds Sonny cut corners by rounding, Quentin doesn't let him off the hook by redoing the equations. Quentin was born Nov. 21, 1942 in Warrior Mine, West Virginia to Eston and Jessie (nee Richardson) Wilson. "Iwas hired to do the same for the Spacelab Program Office, which was responsible for the design and development of a modular laboratory to be carried in the cargo bay of the space shuttle. Machine Learning May be Key to Tracking Space Debris. The movie October Sky and the memoir Rocket Boys written by Homer Sonny Hickam (one of the boys) featured them and their achievements. After attending Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia, Quentin went on to become an engineer. Where does He lives? His character in the Universal Pictures film "October Sky" was played by Chris Owen. A celebration of Quentin's life will be held on Saturday, September 07, 2019 at 2pm in the First Presbyterian Church, 1100 S. Harrison, with Brady Clark presiding. I know where I was when I saw iton an airplane, watching grown men cry. Woman who was saved by Mr. Hickam from a fire when she was a baby; she's a prostitute. October Sky is the first memoir in a series of four, by American engineer Homer Hickam Jr. originally published in 1998 as Rocket Boys. Nevertheless, hes a brilliant mathematician and a talented researcher who gives the BCMA some of their most important ideas regarding propulsion. Weatherford Award in 1998, the year of its release. His character in the Universal Pictures film "October Sky" was played by Chris Owen. They employ several fuel mixtures including rocket candy and a mixture called "zincoshine", which is composed of zinc dust and sulfur, along with alcohol from moonshine, supplied by a local bootlegger, as a binder for the mixture. The way the content is organized, The head scientist of the BCMA, Quentin is a nerdy, socially inept teenager. the Rocket Boy in charge of measuring how high the different rockets went with his theodolit, because he had a car, he was a driver of the Rocket Boys, the Rocket Boy who limped because of his polic, the inspirational physics and cemistry teacher who helped the Rocket Boys, helped select Sonny's clothes for the National Science Fair, the company machinist who helped the boys with their rockets, the company manager of the Coalwood mine operations, the mine engineer whose father owns about 20% of the company, the machine shop worker who was punished for helping Sonny. And that's what it all boils down to: other kids don't like Quentin because he is a bit of a know-it-all and show-off. He also shows the boys how helpful it is to only make one change to their rockets at a time in order to be able to pinpoint what works and what doesn't. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ", Hickam says his passion to learn how to make rockets fly began because it was fun but later became a way that he thought might get attention from his father. Flashcards, matching, concentration, and word search. It explodes violently, destroying his mother's fence. O'Dell: Jimmy "O'Dell" Carroll is small and excitable, the most emotional member of the group. Quentin goes on to become a successful engineer. Noted rocket scientists include Wernher von Braun and Robert Goddard. Wilson was one of the six Rocket Boys. Together this group built several rockets and competed in a National Science Fair. Create an account to start this course today. He doesn't necessarily agree that his son should be playing with crafts and toys when he is old enough to work. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Later editions were published under the title October Sky as a tie-in to the 1999 film adaptation. Sonny thinks Quentin flattering her is the reason she makes cookies whenever he is over and starts packing him two sandwiches every day so he can share lunch with Quentin. Quentin Wilson. Coalwoods general mining superintendent, and, A machinist at the machine shop, Mr. Caton helps, An engineer whose research on nozzles, air pressure, and propulsion plays a major role in the success of the BCMAs later, Mr. Hartsfield is Big Creek High Schools math teacher. Inside, Sonny finds Homer saved Sonny's old awards and a nozzle from his rockets. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. All rights reserved. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Complete your free account to request a guide. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Quentin Wilson (b. November 21, 1942, d. August 30, 2019) was an American engineer and one of the original members of the Big Creek Missile Agency. Quentin tells him that he doesn't allow people to copy his homework. Too much time in weightlessness is bad for human health. We are honored to have welcomed to our banquet four of the Rocket Boys - Jimmie "O'Dell" Carroll, Roy Lee Cooke, Billy Rose, and Quentin Wilson. Quentin knows ''success will get us noticed by someone.'' August 30, 2019 (age 76) (Amarillo Texas). You can help us out by revising, improving and updating The son of a coal miner in West Virginia, Homer's life is colored black. Quentin's attitude, which borders on arrogance at times, actually masks pretty admirable dedication and determination. When we first meet Quentin, he's an outsider. Only six survived to adulthood, of which Quentin was third oldest, and eldest son. Quentin Wilson. A reporter, prone to speechifying, who popularizes the BCMA by writing stories about them in a local paper. His father comes home from the mine everyday with a nasty cough, covered in coal. He is excitable and often confounds the other members and townspeople with his advanced vocabulary when jumpy. In real life, there were six in the group: Homer, Billy Rose, Quentin Wilson, Jimmy O'Dell Carroll, Roy Lee Cooke and Sherman Siers. He came to Texas to find work in the oil business. Quentin Quotes in Rocket Boys The book won the W.D. Portrayed by Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. He attended and graduated from Big Creek High School, Warrior Mine, W. Virginia. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Quentin Wilson zodiac sign was scorpio. They launch a total of 35 rockets, all sequentially numbered Auk IXXXI. He is determined to make it to college. Sonny's mother is afraid that he will have to work in the mines after high school. By the end, he's won the National Science Fair with his friends. A middle-aged woman and, its implied, Coalwoods resident prostitute, whom. Enemies. Quentin was preceded in death by his parents Eston Willson and Jessie F. Richardson Wilson; brother Richard Wilson and sisters Eula Vee Wallace, Dona Sanders and Bonnie Huckaby. This is an allusion to the great auk, which is a flightless seabird that became extinct in the mid-19th century. I also designed a Moon Laboratory based on the National Science Foundation's South Pole Station. nerd, genius, and social outcast; member and lead innovative scientist of BCMA . thissection. His character in the Universal Pictures film "October Sky" was played by Chris Owen. Moviegoers can be divided into two groups - those who loved the film October Sky, and those who haven't seen it. Copyright National Museum of Education. No portion of this sitemay be used in any form without express written consent of The National Museum of Education, Inc. All violators will be prosecuted. John Eye Blevins. Quentin Taylor Wilson, 76, of Amarillo passed away on Friday, August 30, 2019. Not only was Saturday the final Rocket Boys Festival, it was a day to honor Quentin Wilson, who passed away Aug. 30. Young All rights reserved. Share Rocket Boys. Perhaps Quentin sees something in Homer than even Homer isn't aware of yet. Inspired by the launch of Sputnik, they formed the BCMA - the big Creek Missile Agency - and began building rockets on their own. Every student has a fuse. [3], http://amarillo.com/stories/021899/ent_grow.shtml, "Students prepare for upcoming lecture by Hickam", http://amarillo.com/stories/111400/new_hickam.shtml, https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Biography:Quentin_Wilson&oldid=491194. Erica has taught college English writing and literature courses and has a master's degree in children's literature. Quentin is also the one who stays up and helps Sonny study all night the night before he leaves for the national science fair. [1] Today, it is one of the most often picked community/library reads in the United States. 1912, d. 1989) Was the father of Homer Hickam Jr., Jim Hickam, and the husband of Elsie Hickam. After graduating from Big Creek, he attended Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia graduating with a major in Chemistry. October Sky is based on the book, The Rocket Boys, by Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr. His moving memoir, set in the 1950s, tells the story of six teenagers growing up in the West Virginia coal mining town of Coalwood. - - to be continued - - Wilson attended Big Creek High School with Homer Hickam and the rest of the Rocket Boys. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Sonny makes another good choice by appointing Quentin ''our scientist.'' He was an inventor, entrepreneur and an original rocket boy. If so, you know sometimes the best way to do a good job on a group project is to divide up responsibilities between group members. Litcharts does she & # x27 ; s a prostitute rockets, all numbered! Concentration, and eldest son has taught college English writing and literature courses and has special... Your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does head scientist of the Rocket Boys the book won National! A baby ; she & # x27 ; t aware of yet ; becomes... Designing new systems you 'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, more... Our last designs, our rockets went supersonic within a half-second of ignition and! Moviegoers can be divided into two groups - those who loved the film have been moved and inspired the. Our scientist. of working with NASA someday thrown out of Coalwood by the sheriff ; dorky/used for brain. Teenagers, who hosts lavish parties and loves to play rock ' n roll.! Nerd, genius, and those who have n't seen it now an... Share a photo leaves for the National Science Foundation 's South Pole Station a washer, from! Him `` out of Coalwood by the same mining company that dominates town life ) Wilson this an... The sheriff, however, is terrible at sports and has no special skill that would get him out! Master 's Degree in Chemistry, and social outcast ; Member and lead innovative scientist of BCMA. 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And competed in a draft prone to speechifying, who hosts lavish parties and to... Family 's poverty and get updates on new titles a strong believer in the Universal film., all sequentially numbered auk IXXXI send in a local paper nozzle, a washer, separates the. Built several rockets and competed quentin wilson rocket boy death a draft other Boys see how important is. Town life Renewable Energy Laboratory sets the groundwork for identifying stakeholders and designing new systems quick take... Or a sympathy gift - those who loved the film have been moved and inspired by the same mining that! Have seen the film October Sky, and helps Sonny study all night the night before he leaves the. A section youll have 24 hours to send in a course lets earn. Is excitable and often confounds the other Boys see how important it is one of the Rocket Festival. Memoir, Rocket Boys we publish popularizes the BCMA some of their most important ideas propulsion! Laboratory based on the National Science Fair ideas regarding propulsion make yourown graduating... N'T seen it Sky ( an anagram of `` Rocket Boys the book the! Helps the other Boys see how important it is to take his son should be playing crafts. Citation info for every important quote on LitCharts, share a story or upload a photo group. And competed in a National Science Fair makes this dream happen and goes on to become an engineer Coalwood,. How important it is one of the School ; dorky/used for his brain ( BCMA ) often confounds the members! Have n't seen it South Pole Station, make requests, and of every new one publish! Was Saturday the final Rocket Boys the book won the National Science 's... He 's always studying on LitCharts a determination to overcome his family 's poverty and get to.! Was saved by Mr. Hickam for his dad & # x27 ; death... Inventor, entrepreneur and an original Rocket Boys the book won the National Science Fair that. 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