An Anesthesiologist in the Space Race: The Life and Career of Dr. Cloid D. Green

Abstract

The space race began in the summer of 1955 when the United States and the Soviet Union pledged to launch artificial satellites. The race culminated in 1969 when the United States landed the first humans on the moon. After completing his training in anesthesiology, Dr. Cloid Green forged his career as one of the physician-scientists who played an integral role by evaluating the effects of space flight on human physiology. Family members of Dr. Green were interviewed and university and society archives, literature and periodicals were reviewed.

Dr. Cloid Green received his medical training at the University of Minnesota. He earned his MD in 1946 before moving to South Dakota and working as a general practitioner. A combination of professional curiosity and the military’s request for further service led Dr. Green to complete an anesthesia residency at the University of Iowa. After training, he was assigned as the physician in charge of a bomber wing at a base near Austin, Texas, in 1957. Due to his research on the effects of high altitude on pilots, he was recruited to the Brooks Air Force Base. Dr. Green was the ranking medical official overseeing early space flights involving monkeys. After leaving the USAF, Dr. Green practiced anesthesiology at the University of Virginia before moving to Newfoundland, Canada. He became the first chair of Anesthesiology at the Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1969.

Dr. Cloid Green’s career grew alongside the specialty of anesthesiology in the 1950s. His training in anesthesiology proved to be a versatile and profoundly useful skill set as the specialty became fully recognized. Dr. Green's long and fruitful career is the perfect example of the diverse opportunities afforded by anesthesiology training.