Many people remember exactly where they were on January 28, 1986. The Shuttle Challenger took seven of the best and brightest with it into the Atlantic Ocean after a tragic explosion.
Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair was one of them.
Learn more about how a a little kid named "gizmo" accomplished more than most could dream at ronaldmcnair.org/
"Whether or not you reach your goals in life depends entirely on how well you prepare for them and how badly you want them."
Even though he was a real cool dude, Most people called him Dr. McNair. Ronald Erwin McNair earned his Doctorate in physics - that's light particles and atoms and such, not mind reading - from MIT in 1976. Most who knew him said that from an early age he was brilliant and destined for greatness.
Dr. McNair attributed most of his success to the work ethic his parents had taught him. He said that even in little podunk towns and inner-cities "there are great minds and talents with hands that can control a spacecraft with the same dexterity that they control and handle a basketball. These talents must not be wasted."
Ronald was very active in encouraging others to pursue their dreams and to strive for the goals they wanted to achieve.
Ron worked at just about everything harder than the average schmoe. He won the AAU Karate Gold Medal the same year he comlpete his Ph.D
Think about how few people complete dissertations in physics, or win gold medals in Karate, at the same time?
A couple years later he decided to become an astronaut. More hard work, study and discipline earned him the title of mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle. This dude actually picked up satellites with that robut arm thingy and placed them in orbit!
Oh and in his "spare time" - accomplished Jazz Saxophonist!
