Editing John Poindexter (section)

==Early life and career==
Poindexter was born in [[Odon, Indiana]], the son of Marlan G. and Ellen (Sommers) Poindexter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2005/04/17/poindexter-ellen-sommers/ |title=Poindexter, Ellen Sommers - Baltimore Sun |publisher=Articles.baltimoresun.com |date=April 17, 2005 |access-date=February 1, 2013 |archive-date=September 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928091115/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-04-17/news/0504170234_1_poindexter-moving-to-maryland-grandchildren |url-status=live }}</ref> He received his undergraduate degree from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1958, where he graduated first in a class of 899.<ref name=ReaganLibrary>{{cite web
|access-date=February 28, 2009
|url=http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1985/120485e.htm
|title=Appointment of John M. Poindexter as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
|date=December 4, 1985
|publisher=Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
|archive-date=May 24, 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524123427/http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1985/120485e.htm
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> His fellow graduates included astronaut [[Bruce McCandless II]] (who graduated second) and Senator [[John McCain]]; previous National Security Advisor [[Robert McFarlane (American politician)|Robert McFarlane]] was a contemporary, graduating the following year.

Poindexter received an MS (1961) and PhD (1964) in [[nuclear physics]] from the [[California Institute of Technology]]. For his dissertation, he conducted laboratory research to develop further a model for understanding the [[Mössbauer effect]] with [[Nobel Laureate]] [[Rudolf Mössbauer]].<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Poindexter |first1=John Marlan |title=PhD Thesis: Electronic shielding by closed shells in thulium compounds |url=https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-10302002-081451 |website=CalTech |publisher=California Institute of Technology |access-date=17 November 2022 |language=en |date=1964|doi=10.7907/8KMG-FY60 |type=phd }}</ref>