First Black astronaut finally honored

Jet, Dec 29, 1997

During a recent dedication ceremony, Maj. Robert Lawrence Jr., recognized as the first Black astronaut, finally received formal recognition, 30 years after his death.

Lawrence's name was carved into the Astronauts Memorial Foundation's Space Mirror, a four-story granite monument honoring astronauts killed in the line of duty. It is located at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Center in Florida.

Lawrence's sister, Barbara Lawrence, a university administrator in New York, said about the overdue honor: "The recognition is appropriate whenever it comes."

But Lawrence's son felt differently. "The folks in the family have suffered a lot through the years because of this ongoing circle of nonrecognition," Tracey Lawrence said.

Maj. Lawrence, a test pilot with a Ph.D. in chemistry, was killed in a crash in 1967, six months after he was selected for the Air Force's orbiting laboratory program. If he would have lived, he would have more than likely moved to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's program (NASA) when the Air Force's program was canceled in 1969. Under NASA standards, anyone selected for the training program is considered an astronaut upon selection.