graduating from East Central State College in Ada, 33 and STS-44. Gregory was the first African-American Oklahoma in the summer of 1967. Ross would eventually to serve as deputy administrator of NASA and as acting go on to serve as manager of the Astronaut Selection administrator of NASA for two months in 2005. Office, as a member of the Astronaut Selection Board, Joe Allen was selected as a scientist-astronaut in August and as manager of the Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) 1967 and was then sent to flight training at Vance. He flew Training Program from 1994 to 2013, personally chosen as a Mission Specialist on STS-5 and STS-51A. by Johnson Space Center Director George Abbey. During Karl Henize was selected as a Scientist Astronaut in this time, he participated in the selection of 246 of 1967 and was sent to Vance for a 53-week jet pilot the 338 NASA astronauts and was responsible for the training program. He flew on STS-51F as a Mission basic training of 124 NASA and 28 international partner Specialist serving on board the Spacelab 2 Mission. astronaut candidates. Roy Bridges was a T-37 Instructor Pilot at Vance from Several astronauts came through Vance early in their January 1969 to July 1970. He served as pilot on STS-51F. Air Force careers, much like Eileen Collins. Tom Jones After that, he served as director of the Kennedy Space Center spent one year at Vance in 1978. While he was there, and went on to be the director of Langley Research Center. Skylab astronaut Owen Garriott would often land in Loren Shriver spent one year in undergraduate pilot a NASA T-38 jet to see family in Enid. Jones loved to training at Vance and then served as an instructor in admire the beautifully kept NASA jet, not knowing he T-38s for four years, 1969-1973. He flew as pilot on would one day be flying them for NASA. He would later STS-51C, Commander on STS-31 and STS-46. return to Vance with the 13th group of ASCANs in July Tom Jones finished his pilot training at Vance in 1977. 1990. He would fly into space on STS-59, STS-68, STS- He went back to Vance with his astronaut group one 80, and STS-98 as a Mission Specialist. week after reporting for duty. Like others, this was for Karol Bobko attended flight training at Vance and ejection seat and parachute training. received his wings in 1960. He served as pilot of STS-6. Mark Polansky earned his wings at Vance graduating He then commanded STS-51D and STS-51J. from pilot training in 1978. He served as pilot of STS-98, Frederick Gregory was assigned to Vance from October then as Commander on STS-116 and STS-127. 1965 to May 1966 as an H-43 Helicopter Rescue Pilot. He Maurizio Cheli, an Italian Air Force officer, came to served as pilot for STS-51B and as Commander for STS- Vance in 1982 for pilot training, graduating in 1983. 18