Charles Eagan (1921 – March 11, 2010) was a Canadian scientist working in cold weather physiology, known primarily for advancing the

wind chill Wind chill or windchill (popularly wind chill factor) is the lowering of body temperature due to the passing-flow of lower-temperature air. Wind chill numbers are always lower than the air temperature for values where the formula is valid. When ...

formula. Antarctic explorers Paul Siple and Charles Passel had created their original formula for wind chill measurements in 1939 by drawing on data that showed how long it took water to freeze in a cylinder under various wind and temperature conditions. While conducting research for the U.S. Air Force in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1964, Eagan recognized it would be more accurate if the equation took into account the fact people normally walk outdoors and don't spend a great deal of time at a standstill or in a windless environment. When Eagan included walking speed (1.8 metres per second) into the formula, wind chill temperatures warmed. Eagan served with the air force as a radio operator in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador during the Second World War. Upon his return he attended the University of Western Ontario and earned a master's in biophysics. After graduating, he went on to develop clothing that allowed soldiers to work through the cold. In 1959 in

Fort Wainwright, Alaska Fort Wainwright is a United States Army installation in Fairbanks, Alaska. Fort Wainwright is part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the coterminous Fairbanks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The installation is managed by U.S. Army Garrison ...

, he worked with the U.S. Air Force Arctic Aeromedical Laboratory to help pilots and crews maximize their effectiveness in cold conditions. Eagan worked with mountain climbers at 14,300 feet on the flank of Mount McKinley to test their adaptability to altitude and cold. Eagan spent six years as an associate professor at

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...

. He settled in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

in 1973, where he was employed as head of the physiology section of what was then the Department of National Health and Welfare. Here he examined the impact of coal mining on the respiratory health of people in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Nova Scotia. He finished his career with the

Department of National Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

, returning to his work on protecting soldiers from the cold. Eagan died on March 11, 2010, at the Pearley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre in Ottawa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eagan, Charles 1921 births 2010 deaths Canadian physiologists Scientists from Simcoe County Canadian expatriates in the United States People from New Tecumseth