Charles A. Berry (September 17, 1923 – March 1, 2020) was the Director of Life Sciences at the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding th ...

and was known as the "astronauts' doctor". Working in the field of

Aerospace Medicine Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or astronauts. The specialty strives to treat or prevent conditions to which aircr ...

, he participated in medical support of the Apollo space program. Dr. Berry received his M.D. degree from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

in 1947 and served as a Flight Surgeon in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

from 1951 through 1963. He then served as a member of the Mercury Astronaut Selection Committee in 1959 and then provided medical expertise to NASA. He served as Chief Physician at the

Johnson Space Center The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U ...

from 1962 until 1971, and as Director of Life Sciences at NASA Headquarters between 1971 and 1974. In 1973, He was awarded

NASA Distinguished Service Medal The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the highest award that can be bestowed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States. The medal may be presented to any member of the federal government, including both milita ...

by NASA. After leaving NASA, he served as president of the

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) is a public academic health science center in Houston, Texas, United States. It was created in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents. It is located in the T ...

from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, Dr. Berry joined

KPRC-TV KPRC-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Graham Media Group. Its studios are located on Southwest Freeway (Interstate 69 in Texas, I-69/U.S. Route 59 in Texas#Inters ...

, the NBC affiliate in Houston, as the House Physician.OBITUARY - Charles Alden Berry MD
''Dignity Memorial.com'' March 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2021.

References

1923 births 2020 deaths Center Directors of NASA University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston faculty University of California, Berkeley alumni Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health alumni {{US-med-bio-stub