The Life And Legacy Of Astronuat Dr. Ronald E. McNair (1950 - 1986)

Dr. Ronald E. McNair.
(October 21, 1950 - January 28, 1986)

Ronald Erwin McNair was born on Saturday, October 21, 1950 in Lake City, Florence County, South Carolina, one of three children of Mr. Columbus Carl McNair (1923 - 1992) and Mrs. Pearl Helena Montgomery McNair (1926 - 1993).

Even at a very early age, Ronald McNair was fascinated by science and took every opportunity to study it.

Ronald was close with his two brothers, Eric and Carl -- in particular his younger brother, Carl, who was born about 10 months apart from him. The two were practically inseparable their whole lives. Ronald and his brothers were all born during the segregation era in South Carolina; a fact that resulted in one of the more interesting stories of his life.

In late 1959, at the age of nine, Ronald McNair went into the -- then segregated -- Lake City Library because he was looking for more advanced books on science.

Carl accompanied his younger brother and described what happened next in his autobiography: In the Spirit of Ronald E. Mcnair, Astronaut, An American Hero about the life of his brother. He writes:

"So, as he was walking in there, all these folks were staring at him - because they were white folk only, and they were looking at him and saying, you know, 'Who is this Negro?' So, he politely positioned himself in line to check out his books. Well, this old librarian, she says, 'This library is not for coloreds.' He said, 'Well, I would like to check out these books.' She says, 'Young man, if you don't leave this library right now, I'm gonna call the police.' So he just propped himself up on the counter, and sat there, and said, 'I'll wait.'" 

Ronald just sat on the counter until his mother and the police arrived. Upon being told what the disturbance was, the police officer simply asked, "Why don't you just give him the books?" to which the angry lady behind the counter reluctantly did. Ronald politely told the woman, "Thank you, ma'am" after he got the books -- which he returned a week later in the same good condition he checked them out in.

McNair graduated Carver High School in 1967 as valedictorian. Carver High School was incidentally one of the first schools in South Carolina to become integrated following the 1954 Brown Vs. Board of Education of Topeka U.S. Supreme Court case formally outlawing school segregation.

In 1971, Ronald McNair received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering physics, magna cum laude, from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1976, he received a PhD degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming nationally recognized for his work in the field of laser physics. That same year, McNair won the AAU Karate gold medal and would subsequently win five regional championships and earn a fifth degree black belt in karate. McNair received four honorary doctorates, as well as a score of fellowships and commendations. He became a staff physicist at the Hughes Research Lab in Malibu, California and applied to join the NASA Astronaut Corps. 

McNair was also a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and became a member of the Bahá'í Faith. McNair was an accomplished saxophonist.

In January of 1978, McNair was selected as one of 35 applicants from a pool of 10,000 for the NASA astronaut program. He was one of three African-American astronauts recruited by Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols (1932 - 2022) as part of a NASA special projects effort to increase the number of minority and female astronauts. 

After he completed a one year training and evaluation period, Dr. McNair was placed for assignment as mission specialist astronaut on Space Shuttle flight crews. He flew as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Challenger (Mission STS-41-B) from Friday, February 3 - Saturday, February 11, 1984, becoming the second African-American in space as well as the third person of African descent in space, after fellow U.S. Astronaut Guion "Guy" Bluford and Cuban Cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez.

On what would have been Dr. McNair's second space flight, he was again chosen as a mission specialist aboard the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger (mission STS-51-L) on Tuesday, January 28, 1986. Ronald McNair, along with six fellow astronauts --  Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik, Michael Smith, and Richard Scobee -- lost their lives in the violent explosion that destroyed the Challenger nine miles above the North Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral, Florida, just 73 seconds after liftoff.

He was just 35 years old.

Following his tragic death, McNair was initially buried at Rest Lawn Memorial Park in Lake City, South Carolina. In 2004, his remains were disinterred and moved to the Ronald E. McNair Memorial Park, also located in Lake City. 

A variety of public places are named in Dr. Ronald McNair's honor, including a crater on the Moon.

Perhaps in the most fitting legacy honoring his values and dedication to living his life against what was then defined as societal norms, on Saturday, January 29, 2011 -- approximately 25 years following his death -- the building that formally housed the Lake City Public Library where then 9-year-old Ronald was nearly denied books was officially rededicated as the Ronald E. McNair Life History Center, a museum dedicated to his life and memory.

Dr. Ronald E. McNair memorial in his hometown,
Lake City, South Carolina.

The tomb on Dr. Ronald McNair, Lake City, South Carolina.

I urge you today to go forth with the knowledge that you are better than enough; to go forth with the desire to accomplish, with the desire to contribute to our society. Go forth with a willingness to fight and a will to win.
~Inscription on Dr. Ronald E. McNair's tomb.

 

This article is written in respect to the everlasting memory of this son of South Carolina and American space explorer.