Major General Charles Harvey Roadman is commander of the Aerospace Medical Division of the Air Force Systems Command with headquarters at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. He is responsible for bioastronautics research and development programs in support of Air Force systems development, assigned research programs in support of the Air Force personnel system, and aerospace and clinical medicine programs.
General Roadman was born in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1914. He graduated from Mitchell High School, Mitchell, S.D., in 1932. In 1935 he graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Dakota Wesleyan University. Following his undergraduate work, he graduated from Northwestern University Medical School with bachelor of medicine and doctor of medicine degrees in 1939 and 1940, and served his internship at Baylor University Hospital, Dallas, Texas.
General Roadman entered active military duty with the Medical Corps in October 1940. He completed the School of Aviation Medicine in 1941, and entered flying training and received his pilot wings in 1942.
During World War II, he assisted in the development of the Central Pilot Instructor's School, and actively instructed both in the flying and ground school phases.
General Roadman was released from active duty and was in private practice in Greenville, Texas, in late 1945 and early 1946. In September 1946 he was assigned to the School of Aviation Medicine as chief of the Preventive Medicine Division, with subsequent assignments as director of operations and executive officer. During this tour of duty in 1949, he attended the Air Command and Staff School.
He served as assistant and then command surgeon of the Air University from May 1950 to May 1951. He next was assistant air attache and then air attache to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After completing this tour of duty in July 1954, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
From July 1955 until June 1960, General Roadman served as chief of the Human Factors Division in the Directorate of Research and Development, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. In June 1960 he was assigned to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as special assistant to the director, Office of Life Science Programs for Aerospace Medicine. In February 1961 he was appointed deputy director, Office of Life Science Programs, and in April 1961 he became acting director. In November 1961 General Roadman was assigned director, Aerospace Medicine, Manned Spaceflight, NASA, where he was responsible for the planning, programming, and implementation of all medical development and medical support for Projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, and the Manned Lunar Landing Program. He received the Missileman Badge for duty performed with NASA.
In July 1963 General Roadman was assigned to Headquarters Air Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, Colo., as command surgeon. In this capacity, he also had responsibility for the North American Air Defense Command and Continental Air Defense Command. In May 1966 he assumed command of the Aerospace Medical Division, Brooks Air Force Base Texas.
General Roadman is a fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association; certified in Aviation Medicine with the American Board of Preventive Medicine; a member of the American Medical Association, Aerospace Medical Association, and the American College of Preventive Medicine; an honorary member of the Brazilian Association of Aviation Medicine, Argentine Association of Aviation Medicine, and military pilot of the Argentine Air Force. He holds an honorary doctor of science degree from the Dakota Wesleyan University, granted in May 1964.
His military decorations include the Legion of Merit and Army Commendation Medal. He is a chief flight surgeon and a command pilot.
General Roadman's hometown is Texarkana, Texas.
He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective March 20, 1967, with date of rank July l, 1962.
(Current as of Sept. 1, 1970)