Jack Cover: Difference between revisions

John Higson Cover Jr.
John Higson Cover Jr.
Born	John Higson Cover; April 6, 1920; New York City, U.S.
Died	February 7, 2009 (aged 88); Mission Viejo, California, U.S.
Other names	Jack Cover
Known for	Taser inventor
Spouse	Ginny
Children	5

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John Higson Cover Jr. (April 6, 1920 – February 7, 2009) was an American aerospace scientist who was the inventor of the taser stun gun.^[1]

Biography

Jack Cover was born in New York City on April 6, 1920, and grew up in Chicago.^[1] His father was a professor of economics. His mother earned a mathematics master's degree at the University of Chicago.^[2] Cover earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in nuclear physics at the same university,^[1] studying under Enrico Fermi.^[3] During World War II, he was an Army Air Force test pilot. He later worked at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. He was a scientist at North American Aviation from 1952 until 1964 and also worked for NASA^[3] (Apollo program), IBM and Hughes Aircraft.^[1]

In 1970, he formed Taser Systems, Inc., named for a Tom Swift novel about the Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle. Because the Taser used gunpowder to launch the darts, the federal government considered it a firearm, a classification that ruled out a civilian market and also discouraged police and military sales.^[1]

Private life

Cover was married three times, the first two ended in divorce. His last marriage was to Ginny. He had five children, two sons and three daughters.^[2] He had Alzheimer's disease, and died of pneumonia on February 7, 2009, at the Golden West Retirement Home in Mission Viejo, California.^[1]^[2]^[4]

Patents

U.S. patent 3,803,463 July 10, 1972; Weapon for Immobilization and Capture

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Woo, Elaine (February 13, 2009). "Jack Cover dies at 88; scientist invented the Taser stun gun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2009. Jack Cover, an aerospace scientist who invented the Taser stun gun. a device used by thousands of law enforcement agencies to subdue unruly offenders with electrical shocks -- has died. He was 88.
^ ^a ^b ^c Weber, Bruce (February 16, 2009). "Jack Cover, 88, Physicist Who Invented the Taser Stun Gun, Dies". New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Cover's obituary, Time Magazine, early 2009 (before March)
^ "Inventor of Taser gun dies of pneumonia". Associated Press. 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2009. John "Jack" H. Cover, the inventor of the Taser stun gun used by thousands of police agencies around the world, has died. He was 88.

External links

Obituary in The Times

[lat-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Woo, Elaine (February 13, 2009). "Jack Cover dies at 88; scientist invented the Taser stun gun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2009. Jack Cover, an aerospace scientist who invented the Taser stun gun. a device used by thousands of law enforcement agencies to subdue unruly offenders with electrical shocks -- has died. He was 88.

[nyt-dies-2] Weber, Bruce (February 16, 2009). "Jack Cover, 88, Physicist Who Invented the Taser Stun Gun, Dies". New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2015.

[Time_obit-3] Cover's obituary, Time Magazine, early 2009 (before March)

[4] "Inventor of Taser gun dies of pneumonia". Associated Press. 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2009. John "Jack" H. Cover, the inventor of the Taser stun gun used by thousands of police agencies around the world, has died. He was 88.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|American inventor of the Taser (1920–2009)}}
-{{Infobox Person | name =John Higson Cover, Jr. | image =John Higson Cover, Jr. 45036223.jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = John Higson Cover | birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|4|6}} | birth_place =[[New York City]]  | death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|2|7|1920|4|6}} | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | residence = | nationality = | other_names = | known_for =[[Taser]] inventor | education = | employer = | occupation = | title = | salary = | networth = | height = | weight = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | boards = | religion = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
+{{Infobox person
-'''John "Jack" Higson Cover, Jr.''' (April 6, 1920 – February 7, 2009) was the inventor of the [[Taser]] stun gun.<ref name=lat/>
+| name                      = John Higson Cover Jr.
+| image                     = John Higson Cover, Jr. 45036223.jpg
+| image_size                =
+| caption                   =
+| birth_name                = John Higson Cover
+| birth_date                = {{Birth date|1920|4|6}}
+| birth_place               = [[New York City]], U.S.
+| death_date                = {{Death date and age|2009|2|7|1920|4|6}}
+| death_place               = [[Mission Viejo, California]], U.S.
+| death_cause               =
+| resting_place             =
+| resting_place_coordinates =
+| nationality               =
+| other_names               = Jack Cover
+| known_for                 = [[Taser]] inventor
+| education                 =
+| employer                  =
+| occupation                =
+| title                     =
+| height                    =
+| term                      =
+| predecessor               =
+| successor                 =
+| party                     =
+| boards                    =
+| spouse                    = Ginny
+| partner                   =
+| children                  = 5
+| parents                   =
+| relatives                 =
+| signature                 =
+| website                   =
+| footnotes                 =
+}}
+'''John Higson Cover Jr.''' (April 6, 1920 – February 7, 2009) was an American aerospace scientist who was the inventor of the [[taser]] stun gun.<ref name=lat/>
 ==Biography==
-Cover was born in [[New York City]] on April 6, 1920, and grew up in [[Chicago]].<ref name=lat/> He earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in nuclear physics at the [[University of Chicago]],<ref name=lat/> studying under [[Enrico Fermi]].<ref name="Time_obit">Cover's obituary, Time Magazine, early 2009 (before March)</ref> During [[World War II]], he was an [[Army Air Force]] test pilot. He later worked the [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]]. He was a scientist at [[North American Aviation]] from 1952 until 1964 and also worked for [[NASA]]<ref name="Time_obit"/> (Apollo program), [[IBM]] and [[Hughes Aircraft]].<ref name=lat/>
+Jack Cover was born in [[New York City]] on April 6, 1920, and grew up in [[Chicago]].<ref name=lat/> His father was a professor of economics. His mother earned a mathematics master's degree at the [[University of Chicago]].<ref name=nyt-dies /> Cover earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in nuclear physics at the same university,<ref name=lat/> studying under [[Enrico Fermi]].<ref name="Time_obit">Cover's obituary, Time Magazine, early 2009 (before March)</ref> During [[World War II]], he was an [[Army Air Force]] test pilot. He later worked at the [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]]. He was a scientist at [[North American Aviation]] from 1952 until 1964 and also worked for [[NASA]]<ref name="Time_obit"/> (Apollo program), [[IBM]] and [[Hughes Aircraft]].<ref name=lat/>
-In 1970, he formed [[Taser Systems, Inc.]], named for a [[Tom Swift]] novel about the '''T'''homas '''A.'''  '''S'''wift's '''E'''lectric '''R'''ifle. Because the [[Taser]] used gunpowder to launch the darts, the federal government considered it a firearm, a classification that ruled out a civilian market and also discouraged police and military sales.<ref name=lat/>
+In 1970, he formed [[Taser Systems, Inc.]], named for a [[Tom Swift]] novel about the '''T'''homas '''A.''' '''S'''wift's '''E'''lectric '''R'''ifle. Because the Taser used gunpowder to launch the darts, the federal government considered it a firearm, a classification that ruled out a civilian market and also discouraged police and military sales.<ref name=lat/>
+=== Private life ===
-He had [[Alzheimer's disease]], and died of [[pneumonia]] at his home in New York.<ref name=lat>{{cite news |first=Elaine |last=Woo |authorlink= |title=Jack Cover dies at 88; scientist invented the Taser stun gun |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-jack-cover13-2009feb13,0,4344955.story |quote=Jack Cover, an aerospace scientist who invented the Taser stun gun. a device used by thousands of law enforcement agencies to subdue unruly offenders with electrical shocks -- has died. He was 88. |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 13, 2009  |accessdate=2009-02-13 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Inventor of Taser gun dies of pneumonia |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11698337 |quote=John "Jack" H. Cover, the inventor of the Taser stun gun used by thousands of police agencies around the world, has died. He was 88.  |work=[[Associated Press]] |year=2009 |accessdate=2009-02-13 }}</ref>
+Cover was married three times, the first two ended in divorce. His last marriage was to Ginny. He had five children, two sons and three daughters.<ref name=nyt-dies /> He had [[Alzheimer's disease]], and died of [[pneumonia]] on February 7, 2009, at the Golden West Retirement Home in [[Mission Viejo, California]].<ref name=lat>{{cite news |first=Elaine |last=Woo |title=Jack Cover dies at 88; scientist invented the Taser stun gun |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-jack-cover13-2009feb13,0,4344955.story |quote=Jack Cover, an aerospace scientist who invented the Taser stun gun. a device used by thousands of law enforcement agencies to subdue unruly offenders with electrical shocks -- has died. He was 88. |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 13, 2009  |access-date=February 13, 2009}}</ref><ref name=nyt-dies>{{cite news |last1=Weber|first1=Bruce |title=Jack Cover, 88, Physicist Who Invented the Taser Stun Gun, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/us/16cover.html?_r=0 |access-date=January 27, 2015 |work=New York Times |date=February 16, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Inventor of Taser gun dies of pneumonia |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11698337 |quote=John "Jack" H. Cover, the inventor of the Taser stun gun used by thousands of police agencies around the world, has died. He was 88.  |agency=[[Associated Press]] |year=2009 |access-date=February 13, 2009}}</ref>
 ==Patents==
 *{{US Patent|3803463}} July 10, 1972; Weapon for Immobilization and Capture
+==See also==
+*[[Cattle prod]]
+*[[Robert J. Kleberg (King Ranch)]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 16: / Line 56: @@
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article5791955.ece Obituary in ''The Times'']
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100524055046/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article5791955.ece Obituary in ''The Times'']
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Authority control|VIAF=107877914}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Cover, John
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Cover, John Higson Jr.
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American physicist
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = April 6, 1920
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[New York City]]
-| DATE OF DEATH     = February 7, 2009
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =New York City
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cover, John}}
 [[Category:1920 births]]
 [[Category:2009 deaths]]
 [[Category:American nuclear physicists]]
-[[Category:American inventors]]
+[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in California]]
-[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia]]
+[[Category:Scientists from New York City]]
-[[Category:Infectious disease deaths in California]]
-[[Category:People from New York City]]
 [[Category:Taser]]
+[[Category:20th-century American inventors]]
+[[Category:People with Alzheimer's disease]]

Authority control databases
International	VIAF WorldCat
National	Germany