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Quarles, Donald A

Person · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Quarles
Quarles
Credit: NASA

American manager, secretary of the Air Force 1955 -1957, deputy secretary of defense 1957- 1959. Played a key role in the Vanguard-Jupiter satellite launcher dispute.

Donald A. Quarles was a deputy secretary of defense between 1957 and 1959. Just after World War II he had been a vice president first at Western Electric Co. and later at Sandia National Laboratories, but in 1953 he accepted the position of assistant secretary of defense (research and development). He was also secretary of the Air Force between 1955 and 1957.

Related

Country
USA
Bibliography
535

Chronology

9 events

1955 June 28

LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas B.
  • Quarles Committee studies best method of furnishing the United States with a sattelite by end of 1958. - . Related Persons: Quarles, Schriever. Spacecraft Bus: Man-In-Space-Soonest. Spacecraft: Man-In-Space-Soonest, SCORE.

    Quarles Committee studies best method of furnishing the United States with a sattelite by end of 1958. A committee, appointed by Secretary of the Air Force, D. A. Quarles, to recommend the best method of furnishing the United States with a satellite between the dates of June and December 1958, was briefed at Western Development Division (WDD). The Atlas project was reviewed and the potential of Atlas as a booster vehicle in a selected satellite system was presented. The committee was advised that WDD was qualified to manage the program if so directed but that such a program would interfere, to some extent with the high priority of the Atlas development effort. (Memo, Col C. H. Terhune, Dep Cmdr Tech Opns, WDD, to Brig Gen B. A. Schriever, Cmdr WDD, 28 Jun 55, subj: Visit of DOD Satellite Committee, 28 Jun 55.)

1955 November 14

  • Air Force to approve all ballistic missile programs - . Related Persons: , Quarles.

    Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee (AF/BMC) given exclusive Air Force authority to review and approve all ballistic missile program requirements and plans. In accordance with the Gillette Report and recent OSD decisions, Air Force Secretary Donald Quarles established the Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee (AF/BMC) with exclusive Air Force authority to review and approve all ballistic missile program requirements and plans. The Western Development Division was to submit annual development plans which, when approved, were to become the basis for programming, planning, budgeting, production, testing, and most other aspects of each ballistic missile program.

1956 February 15

LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan I.
  • Titan missile development moved from Baltimore to Denver. - . Related Persons: , Quarles. Secretary of the Air Force Donald Quarles approved the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company proposal to move its development effort for Titan (XSM-68) from Baltimore, Maryland, to the Denver, Colorado..

1956 July 3

LV Family: Atlas.
  • USAF missile program reductions - . Related Persons: , Quarles, Eisenhower.

    The Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee (AF/BMC) withheld approval of WDD's proposed initial operational capability (IOC) program until a further review was completed. Austerity in facilities and reductions in military objectives were recommended. Secretary of the Air Force Donald Quarles and the AF/BMC directed the Western Development Division to adopt a "poor man's approach" when working out the alternate IOC program.

1956 September 1

Launch Site: Vandenberg. LV Family: Thor, Atlas.
  • Vandenberg chosen as location for USAF ICBM and IRBM operations and training. - . Related Persons: , Quarles. Secretary of the Air Force Donald Quarles approved the location of ICBM and IRBM operational and training facilities at Camp Cooke, California, contingent upon approval by higher authorities..

1956 September 27

LV Family: Atlas.
  • Ballistic missile program budget cut - . Related Persons: Schriever, Quarles.

    Secretary of the Air Force Donald Quarles rejected WDD's FY 1958 ballistic missile program budget submitted to the Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee by Major General Schriever. Secretary Quarles directed a cut from the recommended $1,672 billion on a maximum of $1.3 billion and advised a restudy of IOC planning.

1956 November 10

LV Family: Atlas, .
  • Revised WDD ballistic missile development plan - . Related Persons: , Quarles.

    The revised WDD ballistic missile development plan was submitted to Secretary of the Air Force Donald Quarles and the Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee. Cuts were made in force structure, and the budget was reduced to $1,335 billion as already approved by the Air Council. AFBMC also approved the new submission and passed it on to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Ballistic Missile Committee (OSD/ BMC) for consideration.

1956 Dec

LV Family: Atlas.
  • USAF missile development budget - . Related Persons: , Quarles.

    Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson, Secretary Quarles, and the OSD/BMC approved the $1,335 billion budget submitted by WDD for FY 1958. Subsequently, however, this approved budget was cut to $1,135 billion by OSD in an effort to reduce the overall FY 1958 funding requirements of the Air Force.

1959 January 1

  • Death of Donald A Quarles. - . Related Persons: Quarles. American manager, secretary of the Air Force 1955 -1957, deputy secretary of defense 1957- 1959. Played a key role in the Vanguard-Jupiter satellite launcher dispute..