Russell Colley

Notable people · Engineer · Inventor · Aerospace

Russell Colley

Russell Colley, born in Massachusetts, joined B.F. Goodrich in Akron in 1928. In 1934 he designed the pressure suit for Wiley Post and later the Mercury astronauts' suits. He held 65 patents and died in Springfield, Ohio.

At a glance

Born: 1897-07-22
Died: 1996-02-04
Education: Wentworth Institute, Boston, MA, to 1918
Known as: Engineer, Inventor, Aerospace
Organizations: B.F. Goodrich, NASA

Life story

Russell Colley was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, in 1897. He wanted to be a fashion designer but graduated from Wentworth Institute in 1918.

He joined B.F. Goodrich in Akron in 1928. He invented the Riv-nut and developed the first aircraft de-icer.

In 1934 he made the pressure suit worn by Wiley Post, who flew to about 47,000 feet. He later led the Mercury astronaut suits and fitted all six original astronauts, which led the press to call him the First Tailor of the Space Age.

He held 65 patents, painted whiskey-based watercolor miniatures, received NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal in 1994 and died in Springfield, Ohio, in 1996.

Timeline

1897-07-22: Born (Stoneham, MA) source
1918: Graduates Wentworth Institute (Boston, MA) source
1928: Joins B.F. Goodrich (Akron, OH) source
1934: Designs Wiley Post pressure suit (Akron, OH) source
1950: Whiskey Painters of America founded (1951) with Colley an original member (United States) source
1961: Mercury astronauts' suits (program era, dates approximate) (Akron, OH) source
1994: NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal (United States) source
1996-02-04: Dies (Springfield, OH) source