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Jacques-André Istel

March 17, 2024

Jacques-André Istel (born 1929 in Paris, France[1]) is a French-American recreational parachutist and investment banker[2] and later in life, historian, widely responsible for popularizing parachuting in the United States. He is considered "the father of American skydiving."[3] He founded a city in southeastern California, which he named Felicity and it is here that he founded the Museum of History in Granite.[4]

Jacques-André Istel
Born1929 (age 94–95)
Paris, France

Early life edit

Jacques-André Istel was born in France to Yvonne Istel, who had been a prominent volunteer in World War I and who would later also volunteer during World War II,[5] and André Istel, an investment banker and diplomat, representing the de Gaulle government[6] at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference. He, his mother and siblings left France in 1940 to avoid the German invasion.[7][8] He attended The Stony Brook School, entering with barely any English, and graduated salutatorian of his class in 1945. He studied economics at Princeton University, graduating in 1949,[9] and served in the U.S. Marines during the Korean War.[10] Istel earned the rank of Lt. Colonel.

Parachuting edit

Istel first tried parachuting in 1950, and quickly became an expert. He soon started popularizing parachuting in America by touring college campuses and leading the American team he organized[11] to the World Championship of Parachuting in 1956.[12][13] Istel, at that time a Captain in the reserves, wrote to HQMC recommending the use of free fall parachuting for reconnaissance. The letter ultimately led to the "HALO" (high altitude low opening) project.[14]

In 1958, he captained the U.S. team that won the French Coupe du Monde, together with Lew Sanborn, Dana Smith, and Charlie Hillard.[15] He led the team that set the first day and night world records for the US in 1961.[16]

He insisted on safety while parachuting,[17] writing the original basic safety regulations for the sport, which were accepted by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. He pioneered the Telsan technique with Sanborn. He also founded Parachutes, Inc. with Sanborn,[18] as first employee a company that designed parachutes and opened the first parachuting schools in America.

In 1957 he and his company trained the United States Army in Free Fall parachuting, previously forbidden as too reckless by the Army. His students became the first members of the U.S.Army famed Golden Knights parachute team.

He is thought to be the first sport parachutist in America to wear a helmet-mounted camera in an attempt to record images during freefall. Having opened the first professional Sport Parachuting Center in Orange, Massachusetts, he believed that exciting footage would be an important way to introduce the sport.[19]

He was awarded the Leo Stevens Award for parachuting in 1958,[20] and, decades later, the award is given by a museum in the town he founded.[21] He made his last jump in 1972 and sold Parachutes, Inc. in the mid-1980s.[9] A profile of Istel as "this country's leading parachutist" was published in The New Yorker magazine January 24, 1959.[22]

In 1957 he founded the National Collegiate Parachuting League.[23][24][25]

He chaired the Sport Parachuting Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was President of the 26 country Sixth World Parachuting Championships, held at Orange in 1962.

In 1965 he was elected Lifetime Honorary President of the International Parachuting Commission of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale.[26]

He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hall of Fame of Parachuting.[27]

He was a Director of the National Aeronautic Association from 1965 to 1968 and of the Marine Corps Scholarship foundation from 1975 to 1985.[28]

In 1964 he was co-leader of the National Geographic society Vilcabamba expedition in Peru.[29]

Felicity, California edit

In 1985, Istel wrote a children's book entitled Coe, the Good Dragon at the Center of the World, and a year later founded the town of Felicity, California, named after his wife, Felicia.[30] The town has a plaque inside a pyramid in which the story claims the official center of the world is located. The town also has various other structures, including numerous granite monuments on which important names and events are engraved,[31] as well as about 30 people.[9] In 1985, Imperial County, California recognized the site as the official center of the world, as did the French government in 1989.[32] He is the founder and the mayor of Felicity for more than 30 years.[33][34] As one of 135 candidates, he gained two write-in votes in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election as a Republican.[35]

Museum of History in Granite edit

The Museum of History in Granite,[36] now a candidate as a World Heritage Site,[37] was founded by Istel as a division of the Hall of Fame of Parachuting (founded 1973). This two decade effort is the crowning achievement of his life. Eighteen granite monuments include eight monuments to the History of Humanity, the History of Arizona (2010), the Marine Corps Korean War Memorial (1998), the History of French Aviation (2002), the History of the French Foreign Legion (2003) and to be dedicated on February 22, 2014, the History of the United States of America. These 100 foot granite monuments are designed to last 4000 years.[4][38]

In 2014 Time, Inc named the design (by Istel and lifelong friend Wolfgang Lieschke) one of 24 in America worth the voyage.

In 2014 Northern Arizona University started using museum monument panels as teaching tools for student teachers.

He has lectured at Princeton, Yale, Harvard,[39] MIT,[40] and West Point.

Three books of history by Jacques-Andre Istel are published: "The History of Arizona"," The History of Humanity Volume I - Engraved in Granite", and the" History of the United States of America-Engraved in Granite".

Recognition edit

In 2003 Istel was awarded the Legion of Honor, France's highest decoration.[41] He also received the European Air and Space medal, and in 2007 a citation from the Senate of Massachusetts.[citation needed]

In 1969 he was awarded the Diplome Paul Tissandier by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.[42]

Named Honorary Citizen of Yuma, Arizona in 2007, he received the Alumni Achievement Award of The Stony Brook School in 2010.[43] He was named Honorary Air Boss at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in March 2019.[44]

He is an honorary member of the U.S. Army Golden Knights[45] and U.S. Navy Chuting Stars.[46]

His 1957 parachute, using his revolutionary idea of very low porosity cloth, is the first Sport Parachute and is now in the Smithsonian Institution.[47]

Istel was named an honorary citizen of Margency, France.[8]

Among numerous unusual recognitions, Istel is an Honorary Master of Sports of the Soviet Union 1956, First Class Honorary Legionnaire of the French Foreign Legion, 2013, and Outstanding Marine, signed by two Commandants of the United States Marine Corps, Generals Robert H. Barrow and Paul X. Kelley. A third Commandant, General Charles C. Krulak, wrote: "we are a better Corps today because of you."[48] He has received many commendations about Felicity and the Museum of History in Granite. John C. Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group, wrote: "You have created an extraordinary monument to all humankind and done so with class and thoroughness."[49]

References edit

  1. ^ Gregory, Howard (1967). The Falcon's Disciples. Pageant Press. p. 100. OCLC 1281216.
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  3. ^ "Sports Innovator William H. Ottley Dies". The Washington Post. December 4, 2005.
  4. ^ a b "HISTORYINGRANITE.ORG". historyingranite.org.
  5. ^ "Yvonne Istel, Wartime Volunteer, 99". The New York Times. June 9, 1994.
  6. ^ Speech by François Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United States Consulat General of France, New York, March 15, 2013
  7. ^ Burke, Anne. "A strange museum at the 'centre of the world'". www.bbc.com.
  8. ^ a b "A l'écoute de Margency n° 57". calameo.com.
  9. ^ a b c "PAW March 21, 2001: ClassNotes". www.princeton.edu.
  10. ^ Wilcox, Len. Desert Dancing: Exploring the Land, the People, the Legends of the California Desert. New Jersey: Hunter Publishing, 2000.
  11. ^ Emerson, Gloria. "Take the Plunge..."[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ . October 19, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-10-19.
  13. ^ . Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  14. ^ Wikipedia, Marine Corps Test Unit, "Reconnaissance Platoon"
  15. ^ "Lew Sanborn - ParachuteHistory.com". www.parachutehistory.com.
  16. ^ . www.parafame.org. Archived from the original on 2013-11-26. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  17. ^ . October 21, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-21.
  18. ^ Taylor, Robert Lewis. "NO FEELING OF FALLING." The New Yorker. January 24, 1959: 42.
  19. ^ Garr, Doug (2013). "The Birth of Skydiving Photography". Parachutist. United States Parachute Association. 54 (648): 46–49.
  20. ^ . Archived from the original on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  21. ^ . www.parafame.org. Archived from the original on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  22. ^ "No Feeling of Falling". The New Yorker. 17 January 1959.
  23. ^ "MIT Skydiving Club - History". skydive.mit.edu.
  24. ^ http://tech.mit.edu/V77/PDF/V77-N26.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  25. ^ http://tech.mit.edu/V77/PDF/V77-N27.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  26. ^ "Jacques-André Istel | D-2". United States Parachute Association.
  27. ^ "Hall of Fame of Parachuting | Felicity, CA | Cause IQ". www.causeiq.com.
  28. ^ "National Aeronautic Association Of The Usa". www.fai.org. October 20, 2017.
  29. ^ . parafame.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  30. ^ . felicity.us. Archived from the original on 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  31. ^ "FELICITYUSA.COM". www.felicityusa.com.
  32. ^ Moran, Mark et al. "Weird California." Sterling, 2006
  33. ^ Mooallem, Jon (19 February 2014). "A Journey to the Center of the World". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ^ "Official Center of the World, Felicity, California". RoadsideAmerica.com.
  35. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2008.
  36. ^ Official website of the Museum of History in Granite located in Felicity, CA. http://historyingranite.org/
  37. ^ Arizona Senate Proclamation, written April 10, 2013
  38. ^ "The Museum of History in Granite (Felicity) - 2021 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go | Tours & Tickets (with Photos)". Tripadvisor.
  39. ^ https://www.jumptown.com/about/articles/the-amazing-story-of-jacques-andre-istel-jumptown-s-original-founder/[dead link]
  40. ^ "Katherine H. Allen - the Tech".
  41. ^ "Honneur À la Légion ÉTrangère".
  42. ^ "United States Parachute Association > Safety and Training > SIM > Section 8". uspa.org.
  43. ^ "The Stony Brook School Alumni Network". alumni.sbs.org.
  44. ^ "2019 Twilight Show".
  45. ^ McNally, Patrick. "Parachutes and Lawn Chairs: Echoes from the grave".
  46. ^ "1960s U.S. NAVY CHUTING STARS PARACHUTE DEMONSTRATION TEAM LEAP FROGS 81544" – via Internet Archive.
  47. ^ Histoire du parachutisme et de l'ACPS, Canadian Sport Parachuting Association, Association Canadienne de Parachutisme Sportif, Ce qui suit est une liste chronologique d'événements reliés au parachutisme tout au long de l'histoire, au Canada et dans le monde. 1957 Le premier parachute de sport (Jacques A. Istel) basé sur le principe de Bernouilli fabriqué en plus avec un tissu à zéro porosité est mis au point et plus tard sera en montre au Smithsonian Institution.
  48. ^ http://www.parafame.org/imageshistory/letusmc.gif 2015-02-18 at the Wayback Machine[bare URL image file]
  49. ^ Email from John C. Bogle to Jacques-Andre Istel

March 17, 2024
jacques, andré, istel, this, article, contains, wording, that, promotes, subject, through, exaggeration, unnoteworthy, facts, please, help, improve, removing, replacing, such, wording, february, 2024, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, born, 1929, p. This article contains wording that promotes the subject through exaggeration of unnoteworthy facts Please help improve it by removing or replacing such wording February 2024 Learn how and when to remove this template message Jacques Andre Istel born 1929 in Paris France 1 is a French American recreational parachutist and investment banker 2 and later in life historian widely responsible for popularizing parachuting in the United States He is considered the father of American skydiving 3 He founded a city in southeastern California which he named Felicity and it is here that he founded the Museum of History in Granite 4 Jacques Andre IstelBorn1929 age 94 95 Paris France Contents 1 Early life 2 Parachuting 3 Felicity California 4 Museum of History in Granite 5 Recognition 6 ReferencesEarly life editJacques Andre Istel was born in France to Yvonne Istel who had been a prominent volunteer in World War I and who would later also volunteer during World War II 5 and Andre Istel an investment banker and diplomat representing the de Gaulle government 6 at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference He his mother and siblings left France in 1940 to avoid the German invasion 7 8 He attended The Stony Brook School entering with barely any English and graduated salutatorian of his class in 1945 He studied economics at Princeton University graduating in 1949 9 and served in the U S Marines during the Korean War 10 Istel earned the rank of Lt Colonel Parachuting editIstel first tried parachuting in 1950 and quickly became an expert He soon started popularizing parachuting in America by touring college campuses and leading the American team he organized 11 to the World Championship of Parachuting in 1956 12 13 Istel at that time a Captain in the reserves wrote to HQMC recommending the use of free fall parachuting for reconnaissance The letter ultimately led to the HALO high altitude low opening project 14 In 1958 he captained the U S team that won the French Coupe du Monde together with Lew Sanborn Dana Smith and Charlie Hillard 15 He led the team that set the first day and night world records for the US in 1961 16 He insisted on safety while parachuting 17 writing the original basic safety regulations for the sport which were accepted by the Civil Aeronautics Administration He pioneered the Telsan technique with Sanborn He also founded Parachutes Inc with Sanborn 18 as first employee a company that designed parachutes and opened the first parachuting schools in America In 1957 he and his company trained the United States Army in Free Fall parachuting previously forbidden as too reckless by the Army His students became the first members of the U S Army famed Golden Knights parachute team He is thought to be the first sport parachutist in America to wear a helmet mounted camera in an attempt to record images during freefall Having opened the first professional Sport Parachuting Center in Orange Massachusetts he believed that exciting footage would be an important way to introduce the sport 19 He was awarded the Leo Stevens Award for parachuting in 1958 20 and decades later the award is given by a museum in the town he founded 21 He made his last jump in 1972 and sold Parachutes Inc in the mid 1980s 9 A profile of Istel as this country s leading parachutist was published in The New Yorker magazine January 24 1959 22 In 1957 he founded the National Collegiate Parachuting League 23 24 25 He chaired the Sport Parachuting Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was President of the 26 country Sixth World Parachuting Championships held at Orange in 1962 In 1965 he was elected Lifetime Honorary President of the International Parachuting Commission of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale 26 He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hall of Fame of Parachuting 27 He was a Director of the National Aeronautic Association from 1965 to 1968 and of the Marine Corps Scholarship foundation from 1975 to 1985 28 In 1964 he was co leader of the National Geographic society Vilcabamba expedition in Peru 29 Felicity California editIn 1985 Istel wrote a children s book entitled Coe the Good Dragon at the Center of the World and a year later founded the town of Felicity California named after his wife Felicia 30 The town has a plaque inside a pyramid in which the story claims the official center of the world is located The town also has various other structures including numerous granite monuments on which important names and events are engraved 31 as well as about 30 people 9 In 1985 Imperial County California recognized the site as the official center of the world as did the French government in 1989 32 He is the founder and the mayor of Felicity for more than 30 years 33 34 As one of 135 candidates he gained two write in votes in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election as a Republican 35 Museum of History in Granite editThe Museum of History in Granite 36 now a candidate as a World Heritage Site 37 was founded by Istel as a division of the Hall of Fame of Parachuting founded 1973 This two decade effort is the crowning achievement of his life Eighteen granite monuments include eight monuments to the History of Humanity the History of Arizona 2010 the Marine Corps Korean War Memorial 1998 the History of French Aviation 2002 the History of the French Foreign Legion 2003 and to be dedicated on February 22 2014 the History of the United States of America These 100 foot granite monuments are designed to last 4000 years 4 38 In 2014 Time Inc named the design by Istel and lifelong friend Wolfgang Lieschke one of 24 in America worth the voyage In 2014 Northern Arizona University started using museum monument panels as teaching tools for student teachers He has lectured at Princeton Yale Harvard 39 MIT 40 and West Point Three books of history by Jacques Andre Istel are published The History of Arizona The History of Humanity Volume I Engraved in Granite and the History of the United States of America Engraved in Granite Recognition editIn 2003 Istel was awarded the Legion of Honor France s highest decoration 41 He also received the European Air and Space medal and in 2007 a citation from the Senate of Massachusetts citation needed In 1969 he was awarded the Diplome Paul Tissandier by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale 42 Named Honorary Citizen of Yuma Arizona in 2007 he received the Alumni Achievement Award of The Stony Brook School in 2010 43 He was named Honorary Air Boss at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in March 2019 44 He is an honorary member of the U S Army Golden Knights 45 and U S Navy Chuting Stars 46 His 1957 parachute using his revolutionary idea of very low porosity cloth is the first Sport Parachute and is now in the Smithsonian Institution 47 Istel was named an honorary citizen of Margency France 8 Among numerous unusual recognitions Istel is an Honorary Master of Sports of the Soviet Union 1956 First Class Honorary Legionnaire of the French Foreign Legion 2013 and Outstanding Marine signed by two Commandants of the United States Marine Corps Generals Robert H Barrow and Paul X Kelley A third Commandant General Charles C Krulak wrote we are a better Corps today because of you 48 He has received many commendations about Felicity and the Museum of History in Granite John C Bogle founder of The Vanguard Group wrote You have created an extraordinary monument to all humankind and done so with class and thoroughness 49 References edit Gregory Howard 1967 The Falcon s Disciples Pageant Press p 100 OCLC 1281216 CLUI Newsletter Archived from the original on 2008 01 24 Retrieved 2007 12 18 Sports Innovator William H Ottley Dies The Washington Post December 4 2005 a b HISTORYINGRANITE ORG historyingranite org Yvonne Istel Wartime Volunteer 99 The New York Times June 9 1994 Speech by Francois Delattre Ambassador of France to the United States Consulat General of France New York March 15 2013 Burke Anne A strange museum at the centre of the world www bbc com a b A l ecoute de Margency n 57 calameo com a b c PAW March 21 2001 ClassNotes www princeton edu Wilcox Len Desert Dancing Exploring the Land the People the Legends of the California Desert New Jersey Hunter Publishing 2000 Emerson Gloria Take the Plunge permanent dead link Sport The Case for the Parachute TIME October 19 2011 Archived from the original on 2011 10 19 United States Parachute Association Archived from the original on 2007 12 15 Retrieved 2007 12 18 Wikipedia Marine Corps Test Unit Reconnaissance Platoon Lew Sanborn ParachuteHistory com www parachutehistory com History of the HFP www parafame org Archived from the original on 2013 11 26 Retrieved 2013 09 17 Recreation Jumping for Joy TIME October 21 2012 Archived from the original on 2012 10 21 Taylor Robert Lewis NO FEELING OF FALLING The New Yorker January 24 1959 42 Garr Doug 2013 The Birth of Skydiving Photography Parachutist United States Parachute Association 54 648 46 49 Leo Stevens Award Archived from the original on 2013 05 15 Retrieved 2007 12 18 Leo Stevens Award www parafame org Archived from the original on 2013 05 15 Retrieved 2007 12 18 No Feeling of Falling The New Yorker 17 January 1959 MIT Skydiving Club History skydive mit edu http tech mit edu V77 PDF V77 N26 pdf bare URL PDF http tech mit edu V77 PDF V77 N27 pdf bare URL PDF Jacques Andre Istel D 2 United States Parachute Association Hall of Fame of Parachuting Felicity CA Cause IQ www causeiq com National Aeronautic Association Of The Usa www fai org October 20 2017 Trustees parafame org Archived from the original on 2021 10 27 Retrieved 2021 10 27 felicityusa com felicity us Archived from the original on 2021 02 22 Retrieved 2021 11 26 FELICITYUSA COM www felicityusa com Moran Mark et al Weird California Sterling 2006 Mooallem Jon 19 February 2014 A Journey to the Center of the World The New York Times Magazine Archived from the original on 3 September 2014 Retrieved 18 January 2021 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint unfit URL link Official Center of the World Felicity California RoadsideAmerica com Official Declaration of the Result of the Statewide Special Election held on Tuesday October 7 2003 throughout the State of California on Statewide Measures Submitted to a Vote of Electors PDF Archived from the original PDF on February 7 2008 Official website of the Museum of History in Granite located in Felicity CA http historyingranite org Arizona Senate Proclamation written April 10 2013 The Museum of History in Granite Felicity 2021 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go Tours amp Tickets with Photos Tripadvisor https www jumptown com about articles the amazing story of jacques andre istel jumptown s original founder dead link Katherine H Allen the Tech Honneur A la Legion ETrangere United States Parachute Association gt Safety and Training gt SIM gt Section 8 uspa org The Stony Brook School Alumni Network alumni sbs org 2019 Twilight Show McNally Patrick Parachutes and Lawn Chairs Echoes from the grave 1960s U S NAVY CHUTING STARS PARACHUTE DEMONSTRATION TEAM LEAP FROGS 81544 via Internet Archive Histoire du parachutisme et de l ACPS Canadian Sport Parachuting Association Association Canadienne de Parachutisme Sportif Ce qui suit est une liste chronologique d evenements relies au parachutisme tout au long de l histoire au Canada et dans le monde 1957 Le premier parachute de sport Jacques A Istel base sur le principe de Bernouilli fabrique en plus avec un tissu a zero porosite est mis au point et plus tard sera en montre au Smithsonian Institution http www parafame org imageshistory letusmc gif Archived 2015 02 18 at the Wayback Machine bare URL image file Email from John C Bogle to Jacques Andre Istel Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jacques Andre Istel amp oldid 1208344488, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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