NASA Office of Logic Design

A scientific study of the problems of digital engineering for space flight systems,
with a view to their practical solution.

John R. "Jack" Garman
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center/Johnson Space Center

Jack receiving an award from Alan Shepard.
George Low is in the middle of this picture.

NAME: John R. "Jack" Garman

ORAL HISTORY: 27 March 2001, 5 April 2001

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

B.S. in engineering physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1966

NASA EXPERIENCE:

NASA Manned Spacecraft Center/Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (1966-1986)

• Mission Planning and Analysis Division, Flight Support Division, Director of Flight Operations, (1966-1968)
• Group leader, Program Support Group of the Apollo Guidance Software Section, Flight Software Branch, Flight Software Division (1968-1971)
• Section Head, Guidance Programming Section, Flight Support Division (1971-1973)
• Orbiter Software Office/Spacecraft Software Division (1973-1974)
• Section Head, System Software Section, Spacecraft Software Division, Data Systems and Analysis Directorate (1974-1975)
• Technical Assistant to Chief, Space Software Division (1975-1976)
• Assistant Chief, Avionics Software Branch, Spacecraft Software Division (1976)
• Assistant Chief, Test and Operations Branch, Spacecraft Software Division, Director of Data Systems and Analysis (1977-1979)
• Systems Engineering Branch, Spacecraft Software Division (1980)
• Deputy Chief, Spacecraft Software Division (1982)
• Deputy Chief, Spacecraft Software Division, Director, Mission Support (1983)
• Chief, Institutional Data Systems Division (1984)
• Chief, Data Processing Systems Division (1985)
• Deputy Director, Director, Mission Support (1985-1986)

NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. (1986-1988)

• Director, Information Systems Services, Space Station Program Office (1986-1988)

NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (1988-2000)

• Associate Director for Information Systems Planning, Director, Mission Support (1988-1990)
• Chief, Data Processing Systems Division (1989)
• Deputy Director, Information Systems Directorate (1990-1994)
• JSC Senior Installation Information Resources Management Council Official (1992-1994)
• Chief Information Officer (1994-2000)

POST-NASA EXPERIENCE:

OAO Corporation, Houston, TX (2000-Present): Vice President

PROFESSIONAL & HONORARY SOCIETIES:

Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

AWARDS & CITATIONS:

• NASA Outstanding Performance Award, 1968, 1970, 1982, 1985
• NASA Sustained Superior Performance Award, 1968, 1974
• NASA Group Achievement Award, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1974
• NASA Group Award, 1969, 1970, 1974
• Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1970
• NASA Exceptional Service Medal, 1971, 1981
• NASA Quality Increase, 1977
• NASA Certificate of Appreciation, 1979
• NASA Certificate of Commendation Leadership Award, 1980
• NASA Special Award, 1980
• NASA Group Achievement Award, Avionics Software 1981
• NASA Group Achievement Award, Space Shuttle Orbiter Management Team, 1981

SELECT PUBLICATIONS:

1. Garman, John R. “The Bug Heard ‘Round the World.’” ACM Software Engineering Notes, 6, no. 5 (October 1981).
2. Garman, John R. “Forecasting Trends in NASA Flight Software Development Tools.” In AIAA Computers in Aerospace IV Conference, A Collection of Technical Paper in Hartford, Connecticut, October 24-26, 1983. Washington, D.C.: AIAA, 1983.
3. Garman, John R. “The Space Station Software Support Environment-Not Just What, But Why.” In Space Information Systems in the Space Station Era held in Washington, D.C and Greenbelt, Maryland 22-23 June 1987, edited by Mireille Gerard and Pamela W. Edwards, 139-146. Washington, D.C.: AIAA, 1987.
4. Garman, John R. “Perspectives on NASA Flight Software Development-Apollo, Shuttle, Space Station.” In Second International Symposium on Space Information Systems held in Pasadena, California, 17-19 September 1990, edited by Leslie A. Tavenner, 485-491. Washington, D.C.: AIAA, 1990.

REFERENCES:

1. John R. Garman, interview by Adam L. Gruen, 9 May 1988, Transcript, Oral History Collection, NASA History Office, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
2. John R. Garman NASA Biographical Data Sheet (May 1985), John R. Garman Key Personnel File (Active), Awards Office, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
3. Johnson Space Center Telephone Directories (1973-1998), Organizational Series, Center Collection, History Collection, Scientific and Technical Information Center, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
4. Kelly Humphries, ed. “Biography: John R. Garman,” JSC Organizations Homepage, Online, http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/pao/org/bios/jgarman.html (Last Updated 1 April 1999; Accessed 1 June 2000).
5. “Lawrence Sperry Award Form,” (15 September 1977), John R. Garman Key Personnel File (Active), Awards Office, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
6. Manned Spacecraft Center Telephone Directory (1972), Organizational Series, Center Collection, History Collection, Scientific and Technical Information Center, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA SHEET CREATED: 14 JUNE 2000

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