William R . Pogue William Reid Pogue ( born January 23 , 1930 ) is a retired American astronaut who is also an accomplished teacher , public speaker , and author . Biography . Pogue was born in Okemah , Oklahoma , and is the son of Mr . and Mrs . Alex W . Pogue who lived in Sand Springs , Oklahoma . Pogue is of Choctaw descent . He is married with three children . He enjoys running and playing paddleball and handball , and his hobbies include cabinet making . Education . Pogue attended primary and secondary schools in Oklahoma and received a bachelor of science degree in education from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1951 and a master of science degree in mathematics from Oklahoma State University in 1960 . He was awarded an honorary doctorate of science degree from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1974 . Flight experience . Pogue enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 and received his commission in 1952 . While serving with the Fifth Air Force during the Korean War , from 1953 to 1954 , he completed a combat tour in fighter bombers . From 1955 to 1957 , he was a member of the USAF Thunderbirds . He was a solo and a slot pilot with them . He has gained proficiency in more than 50 types and models of American and British aircraft and was qualified as a civilian flight instructor . Pogue served in the mathematics department as an assistant professor at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs , Colorado , from 1960 to 1963 . In September 1965 , he completed a two - year tour as test pilot with the British Ministry of Aviation under the USAF / RAF Exchange Program , after graduating from the Empire Test Pilots ' School in Farnborough , England . An Air Force colonel , Pogue came to the Manned Spacecraft Center from an assignment at Edwards Air Force Base , California , where he had been an instructor at the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School since October 1965 . He has logged 7 , 200 hours flight time — including 4 , 200 hours in jet aircraft and 2 , 017 hours in space flight . NASA experience . Pogue was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966 . He served as a member of the astronaut support crews for the Apollo 7 , 11 , and 14 missions . He was also scheduled as Command - Module Pilot for the canceled Apollo 19 mission . Instead Pogue and Gerald Carr of Apollo 19 went to Skylab , America ' s first space station . Pogue was pilot of Skylab 4 ( third and final manned visit to the Skylab orbital workshop ) , launched November 16 , 1973 , and concluded February 8 , 1974 . This was the longest manned flight ( 84 days , 1 hour and 15 minutes ) in the history of manned space exploration to date . Pogue was accompanied on the record - setting 34 . 5 - million - mile flight by Gerald P . Carr ( commander ) and Dr . Edward G . Gibson ( science - pilot ) . They successfully completed 56 experiments , 26 science demonstrations , 15 subsystem detailed objectives , and 13 student investigations during their 1 , 214 revolutions of the earth . They also acquired extensive earth resources observations data using Skylab ' s earth resources experiment package camera and sensor array and logged 338 hours of operations of the Apollo Telescope Mount which made extensive observations of the sun ' s solar processes . He logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two EVAs outside the orbital workshop . Pogue retired from the United States Air Force on September 1 , 1975 , and he is now retired from NASA . He is self - employed as a consultant to aerospace and producer of general interest videos on space flight . Pogue is a member of the Air Force Association Explorers Club , American Astronautical Society , and Association of Space Explorers . Writing career . In 1991 , Pogue authored the book " How Do You Go to the Bathroom in Space ? " , answering 270 common questions he received . In 1992 , he co - authored " The Trikon Deception " , a science fiction novel , with Ben Bova . In 2003 , Pogue published " Space Trivia " with Apogee Books . It covered the trivial questions and answers from the Project Mercury era to the Space Shuttle / International Space Station era . His autobiography , " But for the Grace of God : An Autobiography of an Aviator and Astronaut " , was released in January 2011 ( published by Soar with Eagles ) . Special honors . William R . Pogue Municipal Airport ( FAA Code : OWP ; ICAO Code : KOWP ) in Sand Springs , Oklahoma is named in Pogue ' s honor .