Dr McNair soon became a recognised expert in LASER Physics while working as a staff physicist with Hughes Research Laboratory. In 1978, NASA picked 35 new astronauts from 8,000 applicants. Among them were McNair and two other African Americans including Colonel Guion Bluford, who in 1983 became the first African American to travel into space.
In 1984 McNair was Mission Specialist aboard the flight of the Space Shuttle, Challenger making him the second African American to fly to space. McNair and the four other crew members logged 191 hours in space on the eight day mission. Challenger made 128 orbits of the Earth on that trip.
1950
1986
Lake City, South Carolina, USA
African American
Presidential Scholar, 1967-71
Ford Foundation Fellow, 1971-74
National Fellowship Fund Fellow, 1974-75
Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the Year, 1975
Distinguished National Scientist, National Society of Black Professional Engineers, 1979
Friend of Freedom Award, 1981
Ronald E McNair also held a fifth degree black belt in karate and was an accomplished jazz saxophonist.
Dr Ronald Erwin McNair was born in a low income community in South Carolina. In 1971, he graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He then enrolled in Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At first, McNair was afraid to pursue physics at the graduate level, for fear he could not compete. However he persisted through his trepidation and in 1976, at the age of 26, he graduated with honours and earned his PhD degree in LASER Physics.
A Ford Foundation Fellow, and Distinguished National Scientist. A National Fellowship Fund Fellow, and a National Society of Black Professional Engineers member. He earned the Friends of Freedom Award, won the AAU Karate Gold Medal, and five Regional Black Belt Karate Championships.
In 1978, McNair was selected as one of thirty-five applicants from a pool of ten thousand for the NASA astronaut program. He flew as a mission specialist on STS-41-B aboard Challenger from 3 February to 11 February 1984, becoming the second African American to fly in space.
Parents – Carl McNair and Pear McNair
Spouse – Cheryl Moore
Children – Joy Cheray McNair and Reginald Ervin McNair
https://mcnair.berkeley.edu/about-ronald-e-mcnair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_McNair
https://www.azquotes.com/author/37078-Ronald_McNair
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