Cassopolis native and Dowagiac High School graduate Captain Iven C. Kincheloe set the altitude record in September 1956 when he piloted the Bell X-2 rocket to over 126,000 feet. 

Kincheloe was the first person to achieve weightlessness in space and was at the edges of outer space.  Dan Smith, former principal at Kincheloe Elementary School and a Kincheloe researcher, will present “Captain Kincheloe’s X-2 Flight” at the Dowagiac Area History Museum on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Kincheloe’s flight was an important step in sending the nation’s first astronauts into space and he was chosen to pilot the next class rocket in development, the North American X-15. While awaiting the completion of the X-15, Kincheloe died in a plane crash when his plane malfunctioned. He had an Air Force Base and local school named in his honor and a prestigious aviation award still bears his name. Smith’s program will feature photographs that highlight Captain Kincheloe’s career and legacy.

Museum Director Steve Arseneau will conclude the Fall Lecture Series on Dec. 3 with his examination of the lives of Round Oak employees with Round Oak Workers and Their Homers.

The programs are free to museum members and costs $5 to non-members. Children under 18 years of age are also free. Membership will be available at the museum for those interested. The museum is located at the corner of Division and West Railroad Streets. For more information, call the Dowagiac Area History Museum at 269-783-2560 or visit www.dowagiacmuseum.info.