THEODORE TALLMADGE, CAPT, USAF

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Theodore Tallmadge '53

Date of birth: October 17, 1931

Date of death: October 8, 1959

Age: 27

Lucky Bag

From the 1953 Lucky Bag:

1953 Tallmadge LB.jpg

THEODORE TALLMADGE

Columbus, Ohio

Ted n.m.n. (no middle name) Tallmadge spent four years amid the chem labs and classrooms of Columbus Academy prepping for his college days. A year at Kenyon was climaxed by his initiation into the ranks of the Delta Tau Deltas. One month later, in Memorial Hall, he again raised his right hand and joined the chorus of "All this I do solemnly swear". Membership in the German Club and a big number 29 on the Battalion "Inter-Murder" football squad rounded out his pre-service education. For his post-graduation O.D. watches, he prefers the splinter fleet. A sampan on the Yangtze?

1953 Tallmadge LB.jpg

THEODORE TALLMADGE

Columbus, Ohio

Ted n.m.n. (no middle name) Tallmadge spent four years amid the chem labs and classrooms of Columbus Academy prepping for his college days. A year at Kenyon was climaxed by his initiation into the ranks of the Delta Tau Deltas. One month later, in Memorial Hall, he again raised his right hand and joined the chorus of "All this I do solemnly swear". Membership in the German Club and a big number 29 on the Battalion "Inter-Murder" football squad rounded out his pre-service education. For his post-graduation O.D. watches, he prefers the splinter fleet. A sampan on the Yangtze?

Loss

From Wikipedia:

A USAF Boeing B-47E-65-BW Stratojet, 51-5248, of the 307th Bomb Wing at Lincoln AFB, Nebraska, crashes during RATO take-off, killing instructor pilot Maj. Paul R. Ecelbarger, aircraft commander 1st Lt. Joseph R. Morrisey, and navigators Capt. Lucian W. Nowlin and Capt. Theodore Tallmadge.

The date of the crash was October 8, 1959. There is a more detailed account of the crash, as well as a post-crash photograph, at this site.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

From the Columbia Academy 1948 yearbook – He reads much. He is a great observer, and he looks Quite through the deeds of men. – Shakespeare.

Ted Tallmadge, also known as Rover, came to the Academy four years ago as a freshman. Ted’s likable personality and winning smile immediately won him many friends.

As an athlete, Ted was active mainly in swimming and in football. He won a varsity letter in football during his senior year, a year in which competition for a berth on the team was very keen.

However, Ted’s true talents do not lie in the realm of athletics. Rover’s favorite pastime is tinkering around the chemistry lab. He can be found there during almost any detention period mixing up some foul concoction of what he alone knows.

Ted has already been accepted at Purdue. He plans to take engineering in college, and then go into that occupation. We all know that Ted’s affable manner and good mind will take him far at Purdue.”

Theodore won the Glenn Soule Goodwin Memorial Trophy for the boy who ranks highest in the field of science.

Senior Sayings – “My home brew will be ready any day now.” His home brew was voted Weakest. In the Senior Prophecy, Ted, a foremost scientist, invents the Tomaic Bomb. The Tomaic Bomb was the world’s most powerful weapon and representatives of all countries bid on it …

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and parents. (Information from February 1960 issue of Shipmate.)

Ted is buried in Ohio.

Ted's class ring is in the collection of the United States Naval Academy Museum.

Photographs


Class of 1953

Theodore is one of 62 members of the Class of 1953 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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