Betty Grissom | |
|---|---|
 Grissom in 1961 | |
| Born | Betty Lavonne Moore August 8, 1927 Mitchell, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 7, 2018 (aged 91) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Betty Lavonne Grissom (née Moore; August 8, 1927 – October 7, 2018) was the wife of American astronaut Gus Grissom, one of the Mercury Seven astronauts.
After her husband's death, she was the plaintiff in a successful lawsuit against a NASA contractor which established a precedent for families of astronauts killed in service to receive compensation. Her husband died in the first fatal accident in the history of the United States space program.[1][2] Ms. Grissom has been portrayed in the books The Right Stuff (1979) by Tom Wolfe and The Astronaut Wives Club (2013) by Lily Koppel and by the actors Veronica Cartwright and JoAnna Garcia in the film and television adaptations of those books.[3]
- ^ Katharine Q. Seelye, "Betty Grissom, Who Sued in Astronaut Husband’s Death, Dies at 91,", The New York Times, October 11, 2018.
- ^ "Says NASA, Space Firms 'Don't Care' : Grissom Widow Offers Advice--Sue,", Associated Press, January 20, 1987.
- ^ Eric Benson, "No Honeymoon Lily Koppel's 'Astronaut Wives Club'," The New York Times, July 19, 2013.