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'''Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. ''' (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an [[United States|American]] [[physicist]] and [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]. McNair perished during the launch of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger]] on mission [[STS-51-L]]. |
'''Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. ''' (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an [[United States|American]] [[physicist]] and [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]. McNair perished during the launch of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger]] on mission [[STS-51-L]]. |
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==Biography== |
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A native of [[Lake City, South Carolina]], McNair received a B.S. in [[physics]] from [[North Carolina A&T State University]] in 1971, and a Ph.D. in the same discipline from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT) in 1977. He was also honored with honorary doctorates in 1978, 1980 and 1984. |
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He was a fifth-degree black belt [[karate]] instructor and had won five regional championships. Among many other studies in the field of [[physics]], McNair had conducted research on the scientific foundations of the martial arts. Additionally, he was a member of [[Omega Psi Phi]] fraternity. |
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After graduation from MIT, he became a staff physicist at the [[Hughes Research Laboratories]] in [[Malibu, California]]. |
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During the 1970s, actress [[Nichelle Nichols]] of ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' fame was employed by [[NASA]] to recruit minority candidates for the [[space program]]. McNair was chosen for the process, selected for the astronaut program in 1978, and flew on a ''Challenger'' mission in February 1984 as a mission specialist. |
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McNair was a [[saxophonist]]; before the mission he worked with composer [[Jean Michel Jarre]] on a piece of music, ''[[Rendez-Vous|Rendez-vous VI]]''. It was intended that he would record his saxophone solo on board Challenger, making it the first piece of music played in space. After the disaster, the piece was renamed |
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==Public honors== |
==Public honors== |
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Revision as of 18:56, 29 January 2009
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (February 2008) |
Ronald Ervin McNair | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Physicist |
| Space career | |
| NASA Astronaut | |
Time in space | 7d 23h 15m |
| Selection | 1978 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-41-B, STS-51-L |
Mission insignia |   |
Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an American physicist and NASA astronaut. McNair perished during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L.
Public honors
A variety of public places and people have been renamed in honor of McNair.
- The crater McNair on the Moon is named in his honor.
- Watson Chapel Jr. High has changed its name to R. McNair Jr. High School.
- McNair Elementary School in Compton, California is named in his honor.
- Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School (MAHS)- Jersey City, NJ
- Ronald McNair Boulevard in Lake City, South Carolina is named in his honor and lies near other streets named for astronauts who perished in the Challenger crash.
- The U.S. Department of Education offers the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program for disadvantaged students.
- In Florence, South Carolina, there is a Ronald McNair Math and Science Center at Francis Marion University.
- Several K-12 schools have also been named after McNair.
- Ronald E. McNair Middle School in Lake City, South Carolina was renamed from Carver High School in his honor (he was a high school graduate of the facility).
- Dr. Ronald Ervin McNair Academic High School in Jersey City, New Jersey
- Ronald McNair Elementary School in Germantown, Maryland
- Ronald Ervin McNair High School in Atlanta, Georgia
- Ronald McNair Middle School in Decatur, Georgia
- Ronald McNair Middle School in College Park, Georgia
- Ronald McNair Elementary School in University City, Missouri
- Ronald Ervin McNair Elementary School in Denton, Texas (Denton ISD)
- Ronald McNair Middle School in Rockledge, Florida
- Ronald E. McNair Elementary School in Dallas, Texas (Dallas ISD)
- Ronald McNair Middle School[1] in East Palo Alto, California
- Ronald Ervin McNair High School in Stockton, California
- The Ronald McNair School in Cambria Heights, New York
- A building on the Willowridge High School campus in Houston, Texas is named in honor of Dr. McNair. There is a memorial in Ronald McNair Park in Brooklyn, New York [2] [3].
- Inside the Davis Planetarium in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, the Ronald E. McNair Space Theater is named in his honor.
- The Naval ROTC building on the campus of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is named in his honor.
- The Engineering building at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC is named in his honor.
- The McNair Building at MIT houses the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.
- The McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, which operates at 179 campuses in the U.S. (April 07), awards research money and internships to first-generation and otherwise underrepresented students in preparation for graduate work. [4]
Popular culture
McNair was portrayed by Joe Morton in the 1990 TV movie Challenger. There is a one man show about his life titled Black Eagle.
See also
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ronald McNair.
- McNair Foundation to encourage and mentor science, mathematics and technology students
- Spacefacts biography of Ronald McNair
- Ronald E. McNair Post - Baccalaureate Achievement Program
- Ronald McNair at Find a Grave
- Ronald McNair at Find a Grave
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