This week in Black history

* Air Force Col. Frederick D. Gregory became the first Black commander of a space shuttle mission when he performed a secret military mission aboard the Discovery on this day. Born on January 7, 1941, in Washington, D.C., he graduated from an area high school to earn a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Air force Academy in 1964, and a master's degree in information systems from George Washington University in 1977. Selected as an astronaut in 1978, he had an Air Force record that included logging nearly 7,000 hours in 50 types of planes, including 550 combat missions over Vietnam. He retired as a colonel in 1993. Gregory, who logged more than 455 hours in Earth orbit during three space shuttle stints, became the first Black to be named deputy administrator for NASA in 2002. His honors include the Legion of Merit Defense Superior Service Medal, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

November 28, 1961--

* Syracuse University halfback Ernie Davis became the first Black to win the Heisman Trophy as the nation's Outstanding College Football Player on this day. At 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, Davis was nicknamed "The Elmira Express."

He broke 10 of Jim Brown's football records at Syracuse University as a varsity halfback from 1959 to 1961. A native of New Salem, PA, he was a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns after his graduation from Syracuse. He signed for an unprecedented $80,000, but he was stricken with leukemia before he ever played a game in the National Football League. Davis died in May of 1963 at age 23 after a 16-month battle against the disease.