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TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE MEMORY OF DR. RONALD E. MCNAIR, RENOWNED PHYSICIST AND ASTRONAUT WHO LOST HIS LIFE IN THE CHALLENGER SPACE SHUTTLE TRAGEDY, AND TO DECLARE OCTOBER 21, 2017, "DR. RONALD E. MCNAIR DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Whereas, it is altogether fitting and proper that the members of the South Carolina General Assembly should pause in their deliberations to remember and celebrate the life of the late Dr. Ronald E. McNair; and
Whereas, born in Lake City on October 21, 1950, Ronald McNair was reared in a low-income family but was undaunted by any hurdles he encountered. Determined to excel in academia and life, he graduated from Carver High School in 1967 as valedictorian, and in 1971 he earned a bachelor's degree in physics, magna cum laude, from North Carolina A & T University; and
Whereas, Ronald McNair completed a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976, and later achieved national recognition for his work in laser physics; and
Whereas, after being selected by NASA as one of only thirty-five from a pool of ten thousand applicants, in 1984 Dr. McNair became the second African American selected to make a flight into space when he was assigned to be a mission specialist on the space shuttle Challenger; and
Whereas, he was a member of the Challenger crew on the fateful day of January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle exploded shortly after liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center; and
Whereas, the recipient of a number of honorary doctorates, fellowships, and commendations, Dr. McNair exemplified excellence in his thirty-six years; and
Whereas, a dedicated husband and the father of two children, Reginald Ervin and Joy Cheray, he found the time to earn a sixth-degree black belt in karate and become an accomplished saxophonist; and
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly take great pride in honoring this remarkable native son of the Palmetto State for his outstanding contributions and his impressive accomplishments. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and honor the memory of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, renowned physicist and astronaut who lost his life in the Challenger space shuttle tragedy, and declare October 21, 2017, "Dr. Ronald E. McNair Day" in South Carolina.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Ronald E. McNair.
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