Wilson attended Big Creek High School with Homer Hickam and the rest of the Rocket Boys. Inspired by the launch of Sputnik, they formed the BCMA - the big Creek Missile Agency - and began building rockets on their own. Wilson was one of the six Rocket Boys. Weatherford Award in 1998, the year of its release. Roy Lee Cooke (born December 25, 1941) is an American who was a founding member of the Big Creek Missile Agency and one of the original Rocket Boys.His character in the Universal Pictures film October Sky was played by William Lee Scott. This article is a stub. A loud, obnoxious bully and member of the Big Creek high school football, A rude, obnoxious young man who lives in Coalwood and resents the Hickam family because he blames. After successfully fielding that system, I moved to the Mission Operations Lab where I became a senior astronaut training manager for Spacelab missions and also worked as a lead diver in Huntsville's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator which was, among other missions, responsible for training the astronauts to repair the Hubble Space Telescope," says Hickam. [2] The book was then re-published as October Sky shortly afterwards. Behind his seeming arrogance is a determination to overcome his family's poverty and get to college. [1], After graduating from Big Creek, he attended Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia graduating with a major in Chemistry. He was an inventor, entrepreneur and an original rocket boy. November 21, 1942 (William Poca, WV) 1912, d. 1989) Was the father of Homer Hickam Jr., Jim Hickam, and the husband of Elsie Hickam. He is red-headed and looks more like a stereotypical school nerd. Perhaps Quentin sees something in Homer than even Homer isn't aware of yet. He may be a loner when we first meet him, but Quentin proves to be a strong and supportive friend. "Even 13 years later," Hickam says, "we receive letters and e-mails every day from people all around the world who tell us how much they love the movie October Sky as well as Rocket Boys, the book the movie was based on [written by Hickam].I've lost count of the engineers who've told us they wouldn't have been engineers had they not seen the movie or read the book. The Question and Answer section for Rocket Boys is a great He is living in Amarillo. In 1999, Universal Studios released . Quentin was born Nov. 21, 1942 in Warrior Mine, West Virginia to Eston and Jessie (nee Richardson) Wilson. Flashcards, matching, concentration, and word search. He is the founder of the Rocket Boys. Although Quentin was originally regarded by Sonny's friends as a nerd, he quickly becomes part of the gang, because his wicked abilities in calculus make him a huge help in their calculations. Quentin: Quentin Wilson is the most intelligent member of the Rocket Boys and the person who does figures out most of the math in the group. As children lined the. Active Themes Quentin tells Homer about the history of rockets: the Chinese invented them, and they were used in various 19th century wars. Sonny thinks Quentin flattering her is the reason she makes cookies whenever he is over and starts packing him two sandwiches every day so he can share lunch with Quentin. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. One of those important roles belongs to Quentin Wilson. His real life handsome appearance and Homer's geeky appearance are switched around in the movie. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Once logged in, you can add biography in the database. Later editions were published under the title October Sky as a tie-in to the 1999 film adaptation. Together this group built several rockets and competed in a National Science Fair. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs After his death, Elsie gives Sonny a cardboard box his father had kept. Caltech research scientist Austin Fikes talks about a prototype satellite recently launched into orbit to test systems that would capture solar energy in space and relay it to Earth. But he hates mining. Jake is nonetheless a wise, likeable young man, The founder of Coalwood, and the first man to mine for coal underneath it. Together, Quentin and Sonny partner up, using Quentin's math abilities, and Sonny's strategic, problem-solving skills to perfect the crafting of their rockets. ", Terms of Use Communication Preferences. I feel like its a lifeline. A Coalwood local, popular with teenagers, who hosts lavish parties and loves to play rock 'n roll music. Quentin was preceded in death by his parents Eston Willson and Jessie F. Richardson Wilson; brother Richard Wilson and sisters Eula Vee Wallace, Dona Sanders and Bonnie Huckaby. Quentin knows ''success will get us noticed by someone.'' Sonny's older brother, Jim Hickam, excels at football and expects to get a college football scholarship. Their first real rocket, powered by black powder, is named Auk 1. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Quentin Wilson (born November 21, 1942 in William Poca, West Virginia) is an American engineer and is one of the original Rocket Boys. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. read analysis of Reverend Little Richard. Instead, he makes Sonny do them all over again himself. nerd, genius, and social outcast; member and lead innovative scientist of BCMA . - - to be continued - - But what goes into space shuttle design that many people don't realize? Just like Sonny, Quentin dreams of working with NASA someday. Whether a test is a success or failure, he sees the glass as half full. Biography because he had a car, he was a driver of the Rocket Boys. The book won the W.D. Instant PDF downloads. It's a film that tells the story of a teenager in a small coal mining town in West Virginia who has little chance to escape the minesuntil he finds a love and ability for rocketry. What he doesn't realize, though, is that she may like Quentin but she is also well aware of his family's circumstances and wants to help. Sherman. Sonny recruits Quentin to the ''rocket boys'' because he's one of the smartest kids in school. Quentin Wilson (b. November 21, 1942, d. August 30, 2019) was an American engineer and one of the original members of the Big Creek Missile Agency. Quentin was born Nov. 21, 1942 in Warrior Mine, West Virginia to Eston and Jessie (nee Richardson) Wilson. thissection. Quentin Wilson Young Movie Portrayed by Chris Owen Born November 21, 1942 (William Poca, WV) Died August 30, 2019 (age 76) (Amarillo Texas) Association (s) Big Creek Missile Agency Aliases Homer Hickam Jr., O'Dell Carroll, Roy Lee Cooke, Sherman Siers Quentin Wilson (b. November 21, 1942, d. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He's so smart that teachers of all subjects have to limit his talking time in class, and he aces all his tests. He settled in Amarillo in 1973 with Santa Fe Energy and now is an independent engineer married to Janice Birkholz. the Rocket Boy in charge of measuring how high the different rockets went with his theodolit, because he had a car, he was a driver of the Rocket Boys, the Rocket Boy who limped because of his polic, the inspirational physics and cemistry teacher who helped the Rocket Boys, helped select Sonny's clothes for the National Science Fair, the company machinist who helped the boys with their rockets, the company manager of the Coalwood mine operations, the mine engineer whose father owns about 20% of the company, the machine shop worker who was punished for helping Sonny. Homer Hadley Hickam Sr. (b. I also designed a Moon Laboratory based on the National Science Foundation's South Pole Station. "Rocket Boys Characters". Teachers and parents! Stow, OH 44224. Quentin's attitude, which borders on arrogance at times, actually masks pretty admirable dedication and determination. The moonshine distributor who gave the Rocket Boys a hangover. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. That meant to even establish the parameters of rocket performance, we had to essentially teach ourselves calculus and differential equations, not to mention how to weld and operate a metal lathe and a milling machine," saysHickam. Copyright National Museum of Education. "Quentin Wilson" redirects here. October Sky was followed by The Coalwood Way (2000), Sky of Stone (2002), and Carrying Albert Home (2015). If something works, then great! 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. (including. Coalwoods general mining superintendent, and, A machinist at the machine shop, Mr. Caton helps, An engineer whose research on nozzles, air pressure, and propulsion plays a major role in the success of the BCMAs later, Mr. Hartsfield is Big Creek High Schools math teacher. Struggling with distance learning? His character in the Universal Pictures film "October Sky" was played by Chris Owen. No, he died on 08/30/2019, 2 years ago. Wilson was born to Eston and Jessie Richardson Wilson, who had migrated to the West Virginia coalfields from subsistence farms in Carter County, Tennessee during the Great Depression. Energy Blog: Airport Cybersecurity Needs Will Grow with Electric-Powered Flight. Too much time in weightlessness is bad for human health. Quentin Wilson is an intelligent member of the Rocket Boys and the person who does the most math out of the entire group. He was the Coalwood Mine's superintendent and a mining engineer until his retirement due to Black Lung disease. You can help out by expand it. But, eventually, the town comes out to celebrate one last rocket launch, and Homer Sr arrives, proud of his son's accomplishment. You see, unlike Sonny, whose parents will be able to send both their sons to college, Quentin says his parents ''just barely keep me and my sisters in clothes and corn bread.'' CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. The work at the mine is horrific, but honorable, and so Homer Jr, or Sonny as he is called, feels pressured into work in the mine. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Then you have the smart ones like Quentin Wilson in Homer Hickam's memoir October Sky. The son of George L. Carter, William Laird is a charismatic and . Aliases 82nd Dr. Clackamas OR 97085 or Tascosa Lions Club, 3321 Bell Street Suite B, Amarillo, TX 79106. His family's monetary struggles are no secret. A math and science whiz, he helps Homer and his friends develop their rockets and make improvements as. ASME Membership (1 year) has been added to your cart. "The shuttle was the most expensive space launcher ever built and required an astonishing amount of maintenance and refurbishment after every flight to allow it to fly again. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. He attended and graduated from Big Creek High School, Warrior Mine, W. Virginia. He's often responsible for obtaining materials for the BCMA's rocket designs, and while his schemes often fail, he's responsible for many important rocket supplies. They pose a danger to operating spacecraft. When we first meet Quentin, he's an outsider. Ultimately, O'Dell becomes a farmer. Quentin Wilson (born November 21, 1942 in William Poca, West Virginia) is an American engineer and is one of the original Rocket Boys. Not only was Saturday the final Rocket Boys Festival, it was a day to honor Quentin Wilson, who passed away Aug. 30. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. As Homer Hickam and I start working on this article, it's not all that far from 13 years to the day that October Sky premiered. And when it comes time to put that learning to the test and design a new type of rocket, Quentin supports Sonny while he works out the calculations and designs. His character in the Universal Pictures film "October Sky" was played by Chris Owen. Share Rocket Boys. a local bootlegger who provides the BCMA with the alcohol it needs to make, The new general superintendent of the Coalwood mine, replacing. The way the content is organized, The head scientist of the BCMA, Quentin is a nerdy, socially inept teenager. To dream is not enough. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Though Quentin starts out as an outsider and a bit of a know-it-all in Homer Hickam's October Sky, he becomes a valuable member of the BCMA and a strong friend to Sonny. 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