White Sands Missile Range Hall of Fame

Mr. Ozro M. Covington was born July 10, 1914, near Center, Texas. He graduated from high school in Mount Vernon, Texas, and attended North Texas Agricultural College.

Covington came to White Sands Proving Ground in May 1946. He served as senior civilian of the Signal Corps Organization, a detachment of the Signal Corps Laboratories. His titles included supervisory engineer, chief engineer and technical director of the U.S. Army Missile Support Agency.

Notable achievements under Covington’s leadership included radar becoming the primary source for flight safety, chain radar as an acquisition aid and drone control using range instrumentation radar. Covington was instrumental in enabling the first U.S. guided missile to receive guidance commands from the ground. He played a role in the development of specifications for range instrumentation radar, the first range communications system and creation of the frequency coordination function and office. Covington established photographic capabilities for public relations and historical coverage on the missile range. He was instrumental in the establishment of upper atmospheric and ionosphere research, electronic countermeasures and electronic warfare facilities.

After leaving WSMR in 1961, Covington worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He retired from NASA in June 1973.

Mr. Covington died on 18 May 2006.