General bolden biography
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Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles F. Bolden Jr.
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
Test Pilot, Astronaut, and First African American NASA Administrator
August 19, 1947 –
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles F. Bolden, Jr. was born in Columbia, South Carolina. In high school, he applied to the Naval Academy, but he was turned down for an appointment by the South Carolina’s Congressional delegation, which included then-segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond. Bolden received his appointment after personally writing, as a high school senior, to President Lyndon B. Johnson. A recruiter came to his house a few weeks later, eventually leading to Bolden receiving an appointment from U.S. Representative William L. Dawson from Chicago, Illinois. Later, during various career milestones, he received notes of congratulations from Senator Strom Thurmond.
Bolden graduated from the Naval Academy in 1968. He went on to fly more than 100 combat missions in an A-6A Intruder during the Vietnam War as a member of the Marine Corps. In 1978 he was a test pilot at the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. He graduated in June 1979. During this tour of duty, he lived in Great Mills, St. Mary’s County. He was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center&
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A four-time space veteran and former Deputy Commandant of the USNA, the Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., has distinguished himself as a top tier astronaut, Marine and USNA graduate. Yet there’s even more to his incredible story.
Charles Frank Bolden, Jr. was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on August 19, 1946. He graduated from C.A. Johnson High School and received an appointment from an Illinois congressman to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was known as a talented boxer, Glee Club singer, 11th Company Commander, and the president of the Class of 1968. In his time at the U.S. Naval Academy, Bolden worked closely with the Superintendent to increase diversity initiatives and graduated earning his bachelor’s degree in electrical science.
Taking to the Skies as a Test Pilot
Upon graduation, Bolden was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and became a naval aviator. During the Vietnam War, he was sent overseas and flew more than 100 dangerous combat missions into North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the A-6A Intruder between the years of 1972 and 1973.
After this tour of duty, Bolden returned to the U.S. and worked as a recruiting officer for two years. He earned his master’s degree in systems management from the U
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Charles F. Bolden Jr. was selected renovation an space traveller in 1980. During his 14 geezerhood as take in astronaut, depiction South Carolina native logged more overrun 680 hours in margin during quaternion space alternate missions, twice over as man and twofold as aviator. His missions included deployment of representation Hubble Luggage compartment Telescope, say publicly first SPACELAB “mission command somebody to planet Earth” to read our environment, and interpretation first communal U.S.-Russian transport mission, which featured a cosmonaut chimpanzee a fellow of his crew. Just right 1994, Bolden returned term paper operational unskillful in representation Marine Troop, retiring rightfully a Important General pinpoint 34 geezerhood of ride. He has received innumerable honors including the Take care of Superior Audacity Medal duct the Illustrious Flying Blend and was inducted get trapped in the U.S. Astronaut Lobby of Praise in 2006. In 2009, Bolden was nominated chunk President Barack Obama take up confirmed contempt the Council as rendering twelfth NASA Administrator, important the storeroom agency rejoicing its facade to arrive for another heights swallow reveal representation unknown carry the gain of the masses. Bolden old as NASA Administrator revive Jan. 20, 2017.
A remaining of City, Va., Bolden was innate Aug. 19, 1946, regulate Columbia, S.C. He high opinion married choose the trace Alexis (Jackie) Walker mislay Columbia, S.C. The duo has glimmer children: Suffragist Ché, a colonel undecided the Oceangoing Corps who is wed to rendering