A recent tour of Yerkes Observatory spurred columnist Eric Johnson’s memories of his Grandpa Mac, Gordon E. “Mac” McPherson (1906-1984). Well versed in a variety of areas including astronomy, aeronautics, physics, meteorology, electro-mechanical engineering and aircraft welding, McPherson lectured at Marquette University, Milton College, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and Milwaukee Area Technical College, then the Milwaukee Vocational School. An early Milwaukee TV weatherman and a longtime self-employed flight instructor who launched post World War II corporate aviation in Milwaukee, McPherson would later go on to serve NASA as one of its cadre of sliderule-toting contracted engineeers put to work on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.
A recent tour of Yerkes Observatory spurred columnist Eric Johnson’s memories of his Grandpa Mac, Gordon E. “Mac” McPherson (1906-1984). Well versed in a variety of areas including astronomy, aeronautics, physics, meteorology, electro-mechanical engineering and aircraft welding, McPherson lectured at Marquette University, Milton College, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and Milwaukee Area Technical College, then the Milwaukee Vocational School. An early Milwaukee TV weatherman and a longtime self-employed flight instructor who launched post World War II corporate aviation in Milwaukee, McPherson would later go on to serve NASA as one of its cadre of sliderule-toting contracted engineeers put to work on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.
