Ronald McNair
Encyclopedia
Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was a physicist
and NASA
astronaut
. McNair died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger
on mission STS-51-L
.
. McNair graduated as valedictorian
of Carver High School in 1967. He was a member of the United Methodist faith committe.
In 1971 he received a bachelor's 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 his Ph.D.
in physics
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
under guidance of Prof. Michael Feld
becoming nationally recognized for his work in the field of laser physics. He received three honorary doctorates, a score of fellowship
s and commendations and achieved a black belt in karate
. After graduation from MIT, he became a staff physicist at the Hughes Research Lab
in Malibu, California.
astronaut program. He flew on STS-41-B
aboard Challenger in February 1984, as a mission specialist becoming the second African American to fly in space. Following this mission, McNair was selected for STS-51-L
, which launched on January 28, 1986, and was subsequently killed when Challenger disintegrated
nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean just 73 seconds after liftoff.
on a piece of music for Jarre's then-upcoming album Rendez-Vous. It was intended that he would record his saxophone solo on board the Challenger, which would have made McNair's solo the first original piece of music to have been recorded in space (although the song "Jingle Bells
" had been played on a harmonica
during an earlier Gemini 6 spaceflight.) However, the recording was never made as the flight ended in disaster
leading to the deaths of its entire crew. The last of the Rendez-Vous pieces, (Last Rendez-Vous) had the additional name "Ron's Piece". Ron McNair was supposed to take part in the concert through a live feed.
A variety of public places and people have been renamed in honor of McNair.
Ronald McNair Middle School in East Palo Alto, California
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
. McNair died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
on mission STS-51-L
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
.
Background
Born in Lake City, South CarolinaLake City, South Carolina
Lake City is a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,478 at the 2000 census...
. McNair graduated as valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of Carver High School in 1967. He was a member of the United Methodist faith committe.
In 1971 he received a bachelor's 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
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
Fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
. In 1976, he received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
under guidance of Prof. Michael Feld
Michael Stephen Feld
Michael S. Feld was an American physicist, remembered for his work on quantum optics as well as medical applications of lasers.-Biography:...
becoming nationally recognized for his work in the field of laser physics. He received three honorary doctorates, a score of fellowship
Fellowship
Fellowship may refer to:* An academic position: see fellow* A merit-based scholarship, or form of academic financial aid* Fellowship , a period of medical training after a residency...
s and commendations and achieved a black belt in karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
. After graduation from MIT, he became a staff physicist at the Hughes Research Lab
Hughes Research Laboratories
HRL Laboratories , was the research arm of the Hughes Aircraft Company. Its dedicated research center was established in 1960 in Malibu...
in Malibu, California.
Astronaut
In 1978, McNair was selected as one of thirty-five applicants from a pool of ten thousand for the NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut program. He flew on STS-41-B
STS-41-B
STS-41-B was the tenth NASA Space Shuttle mission, launching on 3 February 1984 and landing on 11 February. It was the fourth flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Following STS-9, the flight numbering system for the Space Shuttle program was changed...
aboard Challenger in February 1984, as a mission specialist becoming the second African American to fly in space. Following this mission, McNair was selected for STS-51-L
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
, which launched on January 28, 1986, and was subsequently killed when Challenger disintegrated
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean just 73 seconds after liftoff.
Music in Space project
McNair was an accomplished saxophonist. Before his fateful last space shuttle mission he had worked with composer Jean Michel JarreJean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
on a piece of music for Jarre's then-upcoming album Rendez-Vous. It was intended that he would record his saxophone solo on board the Challenger, which would have made McNair's solo the first original piece of music to have been recorded in space (although the song "Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells
"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...
" had been played on a harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
during an earlier Gemini 6 spaceflight.) However, the recording was never made as the flight ended in disaster
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
leading to the deaths of its entire crew. The last of the Rendez-Vous pieces, (Last Rendez-Vous) had the additional name "Ron's Piece". Ron McNair was supposed to take part in the concert through a live feed.
Public honors
- The crater McNairMcNair (crater)McNair is a small lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies within the double-ringed Apollo basin, inside the eastern part of the interior ring. Named after Ronald McNair, one of the seven astronauts who perished in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, it has partly merged...
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named in his honor. - Watson Chapel Jr. High was renamed the R. McNair Jr. High School in his honor.
- Ronald McNair Boulevard in Lake City, South CarolinaLake City, South CarolinaLake City is a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,478 at the 2000 census...
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 Post-Baccalaureate Achievement ProgramRonald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement ProgramThe Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, also referred to as the McNair Scholars Program, is a United States Department of Education initiative with a goal of increasing "attainment of PhD degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society,” including first-generation...
for students with low income, first generation students, and/or underrepresented students in graduate education for doctorate education. - In Florence, South CarolinaFlorence, South Carolina-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
, there is a Ronald McNair Math and Science Center at the Francis Marion UniversityFrancis Marion UniversityFrancis Marion University is a state-supported liberal arts university located six miles east of Florence, South Carolina, USA...
. - On January 29, 2011, the Lake City library was dedicated as the Ronald McNair Life History Center.
- Several K-12 schools have also been named after McNair.
- Ronald E. McNair Middle School in Lake City, South CarolinaLake City, South CarolinaLake City is a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,478 at the 2000 census...
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 CityJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... - Ronald McNair Elementary School currently under construction in Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
- Ronald McNair Elementary School in Germantown, Maryland
- Ronald Ervin McNair High School in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
- Ronald McNair Middle School in Decatur, GeorgiaDecatur, GeorgiaDecatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
- Ronald McNair Middle School in College Park, GeorgiaCollege Park, GeorgiaCollege Park is a city located partly in Fulton County, Georgia and partially in Clayton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,942...
- Ronald McNair Elementary School in University City, MissouriUniversity City, MissouriUniversity City is an inner-ring suburb in St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 35,371 in 2010 census. The city was shaped by Washington University in St. Louis, whose campus abuts the city to the southeast....
- Ronald Ervin McNair Elementary School in DentonDenton, TexasThe city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(Denton ISDDenton Independent School DistrictDenton Independent School District, sometimes shortened to Denton ISD, is a school district based in Denton, Texas. The district covers all or parts of the following cities – Denton, Bartonville, Copper Canyon, Corinth, Cross Roads, Double Oak, Lincoln Park, Oak Point, and Shady Shores...
) - Ronald McNair Middle School in Rockledge, FloridaRockledge, FloridaRockledge is the oldest city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,170 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 24,747. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical...
- Ronald E. McNair Elementary School in Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(Dallas ISDDallas Independent School DistrictThe Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
) - Ronald E McNair Academic Center in hicago, Illinos
- Ronald E. McNair Middle School in Lake City, South Carolina
Ronald McNair Middle School in East Palo Alto, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-
- Ronald Ervin McNair High School in Stockton, CaliforniaStockton, CaliforniaStockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
- The Ronald McNair School in Cambria Heights, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
- McNair Elementary School in Compton, CaliforniaCompton, CaliforniaCompton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
.
- Ronald Ervin McNair High School in Stockton, California
- A building on the Willowridge High SchoolWillowridge High SchoolWillowridge High School can refer to:*Willowridge High School *Willowridge High School...
campus in Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
is named in honor of Dr. McNair. - There is a memorial in the Ronald McNair Park in Brooklyn, New York in his honor.
- The Ronald E. McNair Space Theater inside the Davis Planetarium in downtown Jackson, MississippiJackson, MississippiJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
is named in his honor. - The Naval ROTC building on the campus of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
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 Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, which operates at 179 campuses in the U.S. (April 7), awards research money and internships to first-generation and otherwise underrepresented students in preparation for graduate work.
- McNair was portrayed by Joe MortonJoe MortonJoseph Thomas "Joe" Morton, Jr. is an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early life:Morton was born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York. He is the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton, Sr., a U.S. army intelligence officer. Because of his father's...
in the 1990 TV movie ChallengerChallenger (TV film)Challenger is an ABC TV-movie based on the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Its production was somewhat controversial as the families of the astronauts generally objected to it. The film concentrates on the safety inspections and arguments surrounding the O-rings that...
. - The song, "A Drop Of Water," recorded by Japanese jazz artist Keiko MatsuiKeiko Matsui, born in Tokyo as Keiko Doi, is a Japanese smooth jazz/jazz fusion/new age/ keyboardist and composer whose career spans three decades, during which time she has released twenty CDs and has received international acclaim....
, with vocals by the late Carl AndersonCarl AndersonCarl Anderson may refer to:*Carl Anderson , American college football coach*Carl Anderson , American art director*Carl Anderson , North Dakota State Treasurer...
, was written in tribute to Dr. McNair. - The Jean Michel JarreJean Michel JarreJean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
track Last Rendez-Vous was retitled Ron's Piece in his honor. McNair was originally due to record the track in space aboard Challenger, and then perform it via a live link up in Jarre's Rendez-vous HoustonRendez-vous HoustonRendez-vous Houston: A City in Concert was a live performance by musician Jean Michel Jarre amidst the skyscrapers of downtown Houston on the evening of April 5, 1986, coinciding with the release of the Rendez-Vous album...
concert.
See also
- List of African-American astronauts
- Space Shuttle Challenger disasterSpace Shuttle Challenger disasterThe Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
- Rendez-vous HoustonRendez-vous HoustonRendez-vous Houston: A City in Concert was a live performance by musician Jean Michel Jarre amidst the skyscrapers of downtown Houston on the evening of April 5, 1986, coinciding with the release of the Rendez-Vous album...
External links
- McNair Foundation to encourage and mentor science, mathematics and technology students
- Spacefacts biography of Ronald McNair
- Ronald E. McNair Post – Baccalaureate Achievement Program
- Official NASA Bio
- Challenger Center bio
- Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program
- StoryCorps: Astronaut's Brother Recalls A Man Who Dreamed Big