Ronald McNair

Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an African-American physicist and NASA astronaut. McNair perished during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L. Ronald Ervin McNair, the second African American to fly in space, was born October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. In 1971, he received a bachelor's degree in physics, magna cum laude, from North Carolina A&T; State University (Greensbo... more

Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an African-American physicist and NASA astronaut. McNair perished during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L. Ronald Ervin McNair, the second African American to fly in space, was born October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. In 1971, he received a bachelor's degree in physics, magna cum laude, from North Carolina A&T; State University (Greensboro). In 1976, he received his Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ronald McNair was nationally recognized for his work in the field of laser physics; selected as one of thirty-five applicants from a pool of ten thousand for the astronaut program in 1978; received three honorary doctorates, a score of fellowships and commendations; achieved a black belt in karate; and was an accomplished saxophonist. Ronald McNair died on January 28, 1986, in a fiery explosion nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean along with six other... less