My Sputnik Memory

 

I am reading a book and this incident was mentioned.  Sputnik was launched on October 4, 1957. A Friday. A vivid memory often recalled that I will never forget. 

I was working the midnight shift at Globe Union in Milwaukee WI testing production capacitors.   I was going to Milwaukee School of Engineering studying Electrical Engineering, Electronics major. 

I started in July 1956, graduated Sept 1959.  MSOE was on the quarter system so you could finish a university  typical 4 year program in 3 years.   I had split this October – December 1957 quarter to work for a spell. 

In the morning after my shift was over, I was leaving out the front door of the Globe Union Plant.  In the newspaper box, the headline in the Milwaukee Sentinel  box caught my attention.  In BIG BLACK letters.  “Russia launches SPUTNIK earth orbiting satellite”  Or something to that effect. 

I knew in an instant, absolutely, that things would change dramatically and FAST.  And they did. 

I am sure I bought the paper and recall hanging on to it..  But I have not been able to find it.  It may have inadvertently been tossed.  Or: it is buried somewhere in the archives. 

A memory that I will never forget.

Read all about it here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_crisis