Page 4 The Skanner BLACK HISTORY EDITION February 21, 2018
Black History
NASA Celebrates Legacy of First Black American Astronaut
Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. was the first African American astronaut.
By Erick Johnson
Chicago Crusader
ifty years ago, a tragic accident
ended the groundbreaking career
of Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr.,
a Chicago native and stellar Air
Force pilot who became America’s first
Black astronaut.
On December 8, 2017—the 50th anni-
versary of his death—NASA honored
his often-ignored legacy and contribu-
tions to the agency.
Earlier this year, the Chicago Crusad-
er reported about the lack of visibility
of NASA’s first Black American astro-
naut and helped to raise awareness
about Lawrence’s incredible journey.
In planning a story for its annual
Black History Month edition, Chicago
Crusader staffers discovered that lit-
tle was being done to honor Lawrence,
while NASA held memorials to mark
the 50th anniversary of three White as-
tronauts who perished in a fire aboard
the Apollo 1 space module, during a
preflight test.
F
USAF/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
ERICK JOHNSON/CHICAGO CRUSADER
After newspaper stories, Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., celebrated on the 50th anniversary of his death
The Crusader story lauding Law-
rence’s achievements was published in
dozens of Black newspapers after the
National Newspapers Publishers Asso-
ciation (NNPA) carried it on its news-
wire.
Born in 1935 to the late Gwendolyn
Duncan and Robert H. Lawrence, Sr.,
the future Air Force pilot was a man
ahead of his time. Long before magnet
and STEM programs were part of the
high school curriculum, Lawrence ex-
celled in math and science.
At 16, he graduated with honors from
Englewood High School and went on to
earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry
from Bradley University. He married
the late Barbara Cress from the promi-
nent Chicago Cress family and entered
the Air Force at age 21 before earning
a doctorate in physical chemistry from
Ohio State University, becoming the
first astronaut at NASA to earn a doc-
torate degree.
As a United States Air Force pilot,
Lawrence accumulated over 2,500
flight hours. In June 1967, Lawrence
Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity join NASA in marking the 50th Anniversary of the death of Major
Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on December 8.
graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test
Pilot School (Class ‘66B) at Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif. In that same month,
he was selected by the USAF as an as-
tronaut for their Manned Orbital Labo-
ratory (MOL) program, thus becoming
the first Black astronaut.
Lawrence died while training anoth-
“
Major Robert H.
Lawrence truly was
a hero. He set the
stage for what was
to come.”
er pilot, Maj. John Royer, to perform
the “flare” maneuver — an operation
that Lawrence had already mastered —
in the F-104 Starfighter.
According to NBC News, “Lawrence’s
memory languished in obscurity” part-
ly due to the fact that, the Pentagon
only recognized someone as an “astro-
naut” if they actually flew to an altitude
above 50 miles.
However, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Va.)
mounted a campaign that forced NASA
to put Lawrence’s name on the Space
Mirror Memorial in 1997 — 30years af-
ter Lawrence’s death.
“On Dec. 8, 1997, on the thirtieth anni-
versary of his death, Lawrence had his
name unveiled on the Florida memori-
al,” NBC News reported.
The ceremony recognizing Lawrence,
earlier this month—although spirited,
at times — was a somber one for the 300
guests that included decorated NASA
astronauts, dignitaries, relatives, and
friends, who had flown and driven
miles across the country to honor Law-
rence at the Kennedy Space Center in
Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Lawrence’s older sister, Dr. Barbara
Lawrence, attended and spoke; another
prominent Chicago resident who was
present was E. Dawn Griffin, the oldest
daughter of Ernest Griffin, founder of
Griffin Funeral Home in Bronzeville.
The Griffin Funeral Home, which
closed in 2012, handled the funeral ar-
rangements for Lawrence.
Members from Lawrence’s college
fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, also attend-
ed to honor one of their own. On the
sprawling grounds of the NASA facil-
ity, they participated in a two-and-a-
half-hour ceremony that began at the
Center for Space Education and culmi-
nated with an emotional wreath-laying
ceremony at the base of the national
Space Mirror Memorial, a massive
black granite structure where Law-
rence’s name is among those of 20 as-
tronauts who either died in flight or in
training.
The ceremony brought out some of
NASA’s astronauts and biggest officials.
Charles Bolden, America’s first Black
NASA chief administrator, and Stepha-
nie Wilson, the second Black female as-
tronaut, attended the service. Another
Black astronaut, Winston Scott, played
the trumpet in a band that performed
various jazz songs, including, “Fly Me
to the Moon.” Reportedly, jazz was one
of Lawrence’s favorite musical genres.
Dr. Herman B. White Jr., a physicist
and lecturer at Bradley University in
Peoria, Ill., Lawrence’s alma mater,
gave a presentation where a memori-
al scholarship and a conference room
bear Lawrence’s name. Recently, Ohio
State University in Columbus, Ohio re-
named a dormitory in Lawrence’s hon-
or.
Bolden, who piloted the space shut-
tles Columbia and Discovery, praised
Lawrence for his spirit. “He took that
first step,” Bolden said. “If he had lived,
he would have been flying on that space
shuttle also.”
Col. Robert Cabana, who flew on four
shuttle missions, agreed.
“Major Robert H. Lawrence truly was
a hero,” said Cabana. “He set the stage
for what was to come.”
Dr. Barbara Lawrence shared her
experiences with her brother as they
grew up on the South Side of Chicago.
She said, when Robert was young, he
was a very disciplined student and ded-
icated to learning.
“I’m truly proud to have been his sis-
ter,” she shared. “He wasn’t interested
in being the first Black astronaut. He
was only interested in being given the
opportunity to do what he wanted to
do. I’m sorry he wasn’t here a little lon-
ger, but I think his job was one that was
well done.”
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