Julian Scheer
Julian Scheer | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | September 1, 2001 | (aged 75)
Occupation(s) | Mariner, journalist, author, public relations professional |
Julian Weisel Scheer (February 20, 1926 – September 1, 2001) was an American
Early life
Julian Weisel Scheer was born in Richmond, Virginia,[1] on January 26, 1926,[2] the son of Hilda Knopf and George Fabian Scheer.[3] During World War II he joined the United States Merchant Marine at the age of 17,[2] and served in the Atlantic and Pacific. After the war he entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC),[1] from which he graduated in 1950 with a degree in a journalism and communications.[2] While there, he was a spokesman for UNC's sports program.[4]
On graduation, Scheer became an assistant to Jack Wade, the Director of Sports Information at UNC. In 1953, he became a journalist at the local
After the
NASA
Scheer covered the 1960 presidential election for his newspaper, and got to know Robert F. Kennedy.[4] In 1962, Scheer had begun writing a novel on the civil rights movement when he was contacted by James Webb, the administrator of NASA, who asked him to come to NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., and develop a plan for coordinating media coverage of the space program. Scheer therefore began working for NASA as a consultant.[4][6] In early 1963 he became NASA's assistant administrator for public affairs.[7]
In his new role, Scheer soon clashed with
Scheer was responsible for naming the
Later life
Scheer left NASA on February 22, 1971, to become the campaign manager of
In the early 1990s, Scheer became involved in environmental causes, and was a key strategist in Piedmont Environmental Council's struggle with Disney's America. He became a co-founder of Protect Historic America, a group that marshalled opposition to Disney's America from popular historians like David McCullough and Shelby Foote.[4]
On September 1, 2001, Scheer suffered a heart attack while riding a tractor at his farm in Catlett, Virginia, where he had lived since 1965, and died. He was survived by Suzanne Huggan, his second wife of 36 years, two sons and a daughter from his first marriage to Virginia Williams, which ended in divorce, and a daughter from his second marriage.[3][4]
Notes
- ^ a b c Covey, Stephanie. "NASA – The Chroniclers". NASA. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hilliard, Jack (February 20, 2014). "From Richmond to Chapel Hill ... from Charlotte to the Moon". A View to Hugh. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
- ^ a b "Julian Scheer, 75, a Leader in Selling the Space Program". The New York Times. September 5, 2001. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Zielinski, Graeme (September 4, 2001). "Julian Scheer, NASA Publicist And N.Va. Conservationist, Dies". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
- ISBN 0932807607.
- ^ Makemson 2009, pp. 90–92.
- ^ Makemson 2009, pp. 95–96.
- ^ Makemson 2009, pp. 97–99.
- ^ Makemson 2009, pp. 102–104.
References
- Makemson, Harlen (2009). Media, NASA, and America's Quest for the Moon. New York: Peter Lang. OCLC 876586283.