U.S. Astronaut Candidate Robert H. Lawrence Jr. (1967)
Originally shared by Friends of NASA U.S. Astronaut Candidate Robert H. Lawrence Jr. (1967) Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., a Captain in the United States Air Force, was chosen for the Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL), Group III, in 1967, becoming the first African American astronaut candidate. Lawrence died December 8, 1967, in the crash of an F-104 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, with the rank of Major. Maj. Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., was the first African-American to be chosen as an astronaut by either NASA or the military. He was born Oct. 2, 1935, in Chicago. He graduated from high school at 16 and Bradley University at 20 with a Bachelor's in Chemistry. He was Cadet Commander of Bradley AFROTC and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve. He entered flight training, and after graduation became a T-33 instructor, training USAF & Luftwaffe pilots. He earned a Doctorate in Physical Chemistry from Ohio State. He graduated from the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwar...