Francis J. Burke, born December 12, 1935 in West Carthage, New York. Resided in Deferiet, New York and RFD 4, Carthage New York. Attended elementary schools in Deferiet and Herrings, New York and high school at Carthage Augustinian Academy, Carthage, New York graduating in1953. Enlisted in U. S. Air Force February 1954, I wanted aircraft mechanics or meteorology but was assigned to Clerk Typist on the job training. I despised being a Clerk Typist and took advantage of early out in October 1957. I utilized the Korean G.I. Bill and was accepted and attended Northrop Institute of Technology in Inglewood, California beginning July 1958 and graduating in September 1961 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. In November 1961 I accepted employment with North American Aviation, Downey, California as a structural design engineer. I began updating drawings on the Hound Dog missile. When the funding came through I was assigned to work on a modification to the Gemini capsule called the Para-Glider. I designed a ¥ scale main landing gear skid system to test the landing concept. Unfortunately the full size high altitude drop test failed and the program was canceled. I was subsequently assigned to structural design on the Apollo Service Module, making the drawings for the fuel and oxidizer tanks and the helium bottle to pressurize the tanks. I also designed a closeout for the Service Module outer panels common to the RCS Panels. In May 1964 another engineer and I brought the engineering for the Apollo LEM Adapter to the North American Aviation Tulsa Facility. I liked what I saw and experienced at the Tulsa Facility and upon returning to Downey I put in for a company transfer to the Tulsa Facility. I obtained the transfer in August 1965. I began work in Tulsa designing Apollo ground support equipment. I designed the weight and balance fixtures for the Apollo Launch Escape System, Command Module and Service Module. In 1967 I was on loan to the Boeing Company making structural design drawings on the 747. I worked in Material Review on the 747 and 757. I worked in structural design on SST, B-1A, B-1B, Boeing 767, XV-15, YC-14, C-17, X-30 NASP. I designed a full size model of the F-14 engine nacelle for a radar study for the Navy. Designed test fixtures for proof load tests on X-31. I was the responsible Engineer for conducting the structural test on the Space Shuttle Payload Bay Doors. That involved designing the test fixture, directing the test and writing the test report. I designed test fixtures for proof loading the Space Shuttle handling equipment for piggybacking to the 747 as well as equipment utilized in the Vertical Assembly Building. The handling fixture utilized in the Vertical Assembly Building would be placed astraddle of the Shuttle and after installing the four pins the Shuttle would be lifted and rotated to allow attachment to the tank for the launch. This Proof load was 530,000 pounds.