The unsung astronaut

What might have been
In later years, a series of high-performance vehicles used this same kind of "flare" to land at runways after high-altitude missions and even space missions. Seven of Lawrence’s fellow astronauts in the MOL program made space flights aboard NASA shuttle vehicles that landed this way.

These seven men were accepted into the NASA program in mid-1969, under an agreement that allowed the youngest -– those likely to be around for the long years of additional training –- to transfer. Lawrence’s date of birth put him squarely into the range of those accepted, and there’s no question that he would have been part of the transfer.

In retrospect, people who knew him have wondered what sort of space flight career he would have had.

Speaking at the lecture hall dedication in 2000, Ohio State president William Kirwan mourned the loss. “Robert Lawrence certainly was a tremendous individual and a true pioneer,” he said. “I consider it a great loss that we were not able to witness and to benefit from the full flowering of Major Lawrence's career.”

Lawrence's MOL colleagues flew in the shuttle, walked in space, commanded Spacelab science missions, and later assumed high positions within the space program. They took command of NASA space centers, space industry divisions -- one even became NASA Administrator. Another MOL colleague, too old by only a few months for the transfer to NASA, became director of the Strategic Defense Initiative missile shield program in the 1980s. Lawrence’s skills would have made all of those achievements –- and more –- within his range.

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But instead, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Lawrence's memory languished in obscurity, at best a footnote in historical reports and archives. His family, friends and his hometown of Chicago had not forgotten him, but since he had never been a "NASA astronaut," he wasn’t on the minds of most space experts -- many of whom had forgotten that there ever had been any non-NASA manned space programs.

Lawrence's parent service, the Air Force, did not help. Although NASA considers a person an "astronaut" as soon as he or she finishes a yearlong training program, the Pentagon has an entirely different criterion for awarding recognition: to them, an "astronaut" is only somebody who has actually flown to an altitude of above 50 miles.

Perhaps that explains why the Apollo 15 memorial plaque, does not carry Lawrence’s name -– even though all three crewmen on that mission were also Air Force officers. Russian names were listed on the plaque, as was a man killed in an off-duty traffic accident and several NASA astronauts who had never flown above 50 miles. Lawrence, however, was ignored.

The subsequent refusal by the Astronaut Memorial Foundation to include Lawrence’s name on the Florida memorial seems to have been directly traceable to a reply they received from the Pentagon when, prompted by advice from space historians, they asked about his status. Maj. Lawrence, the personnel clerk had replied, had never met the Air Force standard to be called an "astronaut".

This bureaucratic pettiness -– and the Foundation’s all too convenient acceptance of it as the last word -– sparked a private campaign by historians, journalists and eventually politicians to overturn the obstructionist and over-literal decree. Once high-level officials in the Pentagon saw the strength of the campaign and the depth of the bitterness at the appearance of racist motivations, the Air Force adjusted its criteria to be consistent with NASA’s and deemed Lawrence worthy of recognition on the memorial.

On Dec. 8, 1997, on the thirtieth anniversary of his death, Lawrence had his name unveiled on the Florida memorial. And last month, on NASA's first annual "Day of Commemoration," astronaut Fred Gregory -- now acting administrator of NASA, the first African-American to have such a high post at NASA -- paid special tribute to Lawrence. It was the first time that a NASA official had explicitly drawn attention to his status.

Lawrence had already fully earned these honors, the memorial and recent tribute merely recognized, belatedly, that historical fact.

James Oberg, space analyst for NBC News, spent 22 years at the Johnson Space Center as a Mission Control operator and an orbital designer. He was among those who campaigned for Lawrence's recognition.

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