John P. Hagen (1908-1990) was director of the Vanguard program during the 1950s. He had been an astronomer at Wesleyan University, 1931-1935, before working for the Naval Research Laboratory, from 1935 until 1958. With the creation of NASA in 1958, he became the assistant director of spaceflight development, a position in which he remained for two years. In 1962, he returned to higher education, becoming a professor of astronomy at Pennsylvania State University. See obituary in New York Times, September 1, 1990, p. 25; ³John P. Hagen,² biographical file, NASA Historical Reference Collection, NASA History Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC.
Updated February 8, 2005