Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr.

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Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. USAF MOL Astronaut (USAF)

United States Air Force Major Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. (October 2, 1935 - December 8, 1967) was born in Chicago, Illinois and named the first African-American astronaut. At the age of 16, he graduated in the top 10% from Englewood High School. At the age of 20, graduated from Bradley University with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry. At Bradley, he distinguished himself as Cadet Commander in the Air Force ROTC and received the commission of Second Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve Program.

At the age of 21 he had become an Air Force pilot after completing flight training at Malden Air Force Base.

At 22, he married the former Ms. Barbara Cress, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Henry Cress of Chicago. By the time he was 25, he had completed an Air Force assignment as an instructor pilot in the T-33 training aircraft for the German Air Force.

In 1965, Major Lawrence earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Ohio State University. His dissertation related to that part of chemistry which involved the conversion of tritium rays to methane gas. [1] [2]

He was a senior USAF pilot, accumulating well over 2,500 flight hours--2,000 of which was in jets. Lawrence flew many tests in the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter to investigate the gliding flight of various unpowered spacecraft returning to Earth from orbit, such as the North American X-15 rocket-plane. His research was instrumental in proving the steep-descent gliding concept that would later be employed with the Space Shuttle.

In June 1967 Lawrence successfully completed the Air Force Flight Test Pilot Training School at Edwards AFB, California. That same month he was selected by the USAF as an astronaut in the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program, thus becoming the first African American astronaut. The MOL project would eventually lead to today's International Space Station.

Major Lawrence was killed on December 8, 1967, in the crash of an F-104 Starfighter at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He was flying backseat on the mission as the instructor pilot for a flight test trainee learning the steep-descent glide technique. The pilot flying made such an approach but flared too late. The airplane struck the ground hard, the main gear failed, and the airplane caught fire. The front seat pilot of the aircraft successfully ejected upon ground impact and survived the accident, but with major injuries. By the time Major Lawrence had ejected the airplane had rolled onto one side and tragically his ejection seat with him still in it described a low angle path and struck the ground, killing him instantly. During his brief career, Major Lawrence earned the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Citation. After many years of relative obscurity, his achievements, dedication, and sacrifices for the nation were finally recognized on December 8, 1997, when his name was inscribed on the Astronaut Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [3]

Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.