Ron Howe

 I began working at JPL in June of 1962 in the apprentice electrician program.  I attended classes for residential and commercial electrical wiring at PCC.  For 15 years I worked as an electrician, mostly doing construction work in just about every building on the lab, 2 of those years in the electrical lead man position.  I then transferred to the refrigeration department (heating and air conditioning), while attending classes at Citrus College for the refrigeration trade.  I was foreman of the swing shift, supervising the crews of all the trades  (electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, carpenter and paint shops) until the swing shift was disbanded a year latter. I then went back to the normal day shift for about two years as foreman of the preventive maintenance program for the electrical, refrigeration, plumbing and millwright trades. During this time I also monitored the electrical and gas utilities usage for the lab.  The next step was into engineering, overseeing the contract and installation of the first utility control system, a central computerized system controlling the heating and air conditioning of major buildings on the lab. 

 In 1986 I transferred to the Balloon Flight Operations Group of the Earth and Space Sciences Division, supporting high altitude balloon flights.  I designed and maintained gondola structures, and modified and repaired instruments for the balloon flights. During these campaigns I have had frequent trips to Palestine, Texas and Fort Sumner, New Mexico. I have also supported flights form Alaska, Canada, Brazil and Sweden.

 Married since 1963, to Lorene (Laurie), I have two children, daughter Cheryl Howe Anderson and son Mitchell.

 Hobbies:
Working in my machine shop at home.
Collecting old motor cycles.
Building a 1927 street rod.
Driving and maintaining my 1951 Ford.
Crew Chief on a motorcycle streamliner for high-speed record runs on the Bonnivile Salt Flats.  web sight www.streamliner.com