McNair Scholars Program
Dr. Ronald E. McNair, an accomplished physicist and astronaut, left an indelible mark on the scientific community and the pursuit of educational excellence. Born on October 21, 1950 in Lake City, South Carolina, Dr. McNair's early life was marked by a passion for learning and a determination to succeed in the face of obstacles. He graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1967 and earned a scholarship to attend North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT).
After initially considering a major in music, Dr. McNair returned to his love for science and graduated magna cum laude in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in physics from NCAT. He continued his academic pursuits at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a Ph.D. in laser physics in 1976 at the age of 26. Dr. McNair was recognized as an expert in chemical and high-pressure lasers and worked as a staff physicist with Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
Dr. McNair was selected for the NASA space shuttle program, and in 1984, he became the second African American to travel to space. He maintained his love for music and was famously photographed playing his saxophone in space during his first mission. Tragically, his life was cut short on his second mission when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff on January 28, 1986. This incident took the lives of Dr. McNair and fellow crew members: Commander Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, Commander Michael J. Smith, Gregory B. Jarvis, S. Christa McAuliffe, Ellison Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik. Dr. McNair and the Challenger crew were posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on July 23, 2004.
Dr. McNair's legacy, however, extends far beyond his groundbreaking space missions. He earned many distinctions during his lifetime, including Presidential Scholar (1971-74), Ford Foundation Fellow (1971-74), National Fellowship Fund Fellow (1974-75), and NATO Fellow (1975). In his honor, Congress established the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program in 1989 to encourage first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented students to expand their educational boundaries by pursuing a Ph.D.
This program is dedicated to the high standards of achievement inspired by Dr. McNair's life.
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In January 2013, StoryCorps, an independent nonprofit, released an animated short about Dr. Ronald McNair. Narrated by his brother Carl McNair, the video tells the story of how Ronald McNair overcame obstacles in his early life and went on to become a hero in his small South Carolina hometown.