McElroy, Neil
McElroy, Neil (1904–1972), secretary of defense (1957–59).McElroy was born in Berea, Ohio, and graduated from Harvard in 1925. He was employed by Procter & Gamble, rising to the presidency in 1948. Chairmanship of a White House conference on education (1955–56) brought him to the attention of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who appointed him secretary of defense effective 9 October 1957.
McElroy's accession followed by a few days the launching of the first global‐orbiting satellite (Sputnik) by the Soviet Union, which ushered in the age of long‐range rocketry and space exploration. During McElroy's tenure, major U.S. missile projects begun several years earlier came to fruition. McElroy ordered production of two intermediate‐range (1,500‐mile) missiles, Jupiter and Thor, developed by the army and air force respectively. He accelerated development of the air...
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