Ronald McNair
| Ronald Erwin McNair | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| NASA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
October 21, 1950 Lake City, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 1986 (aged 35) Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. |
|
Other occupation
|
Physicist |
|
Time in space
|
7d 23h 15m |
| Selection | 1978 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-41-B, STS-51-L |
|
Mission insignia
|
 
|
| Awards |  |
Ronald Erwin McNair (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an American physicist and NASA astronaut. McNair died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where he was serving as the Mission Specialist. He is survived by his wife Cheryl and two children.
Born October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina, his parents were Pearl M. and Carl C. McNair. He had two brothers, Carl S. and Eric A. McNair.
In the summer of 1959, he refused to leave the segregated Lake City Public Library without being allowed to check out his books. After the police and his mother were called, he was allowed to borrow books from the library, which is now named after him. A children's book, Ron's Big Mission, offers a fictionalized account of this event.
McNair graduated as valedictorian of Carver High School in 1967.
In 1971, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics, magna cum laude, from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. McNair was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. In 1976, he received a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the guidance of Michael Feld, becoming nationally recognized for his work in the field of laser physics.
He received three honorary doctorates, a score of fellowships and commendations and achieved a black belt in karate.
...
Wikipedia