Ronald E. McNair

Dr. Ronald E. McNair, an African American engineer and scientist, was born on October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. He came from a low-income family, and his perseverance and determination in the face of many obstacles and hardships allowed him to excel in academia and life. He graduated as the valedictorian of Carger High School in 1967, and in 1971, he received his bachelor’s degree in Physics, magna cum laude, from North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, N.C. In 1976, at 26, he received his PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Nationally recognized for his work in laser physics, Dr. Ronald McNair was one of thirty-five applicants selected by NASA for the astronaut program in 1978 and became the second African American to fly in space. On January 28, 1986, he and six fellow astronauts serving aboard the space shuttle Challenger died when the shuttle exploded nine miles above the Atlantic. A sixth-degree karate black belt holder and highly accomplished saxophonist, he was the father of two children: Reginald Erwin and Joy Cheray.

Since its inception at San José State University in 1995, The McNair Scholars Program at SJSU has been dedicated to carrying on Dr. Ronald E. McNair’s legacy of academic excellence and personal commitment to success. Collaborating with partners across campus, our program continues to serve, support, and offer guidance to hundreds of students.