We Could Not Fail: The First African Americans in the Space Program

313 Pages·2015·11.215 MB·English

by  Richard Paul, Steven Moss

We Could Not Fail
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We Could Not Fail
The First African Americans
in the Space Program

Richard Paul �  Steven Moss
University of Texas Press
Austin
Copyright © 2015 by Richard Paul and Steven Moss
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First edition, 2015
Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to:
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University of Texas Press
P.O. Box 7819
Austin, TX 78713- 7819
http://utpress.utexas.edu/index.php/rp- form
♾ The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of
ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992 (R1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Paul, Richard, 1959–
 We could not fail : the first African Americans in the space program /
by Richard Paul and Steven Moss. — First edition.
  pages  cm
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 ISBN 978- 0- 292- 77249- 6 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration—Officials and
employees—Biography 2. African American professional employees—Biography. 
3. African American engineers—Biography. 4. African American astronauts—
Biography. 5. United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration—
Officials and employees—History. 6. United States. National Aeronautics and
Space Administration—Rules and practice—History. 7. Discrimination in
employment—United States—History—20th century. 8. Race discrimination—
United States—History—20th century. I. Moss, Steven, 1962– II. Title. 
III. Title: First African Americans in the Space Program.
TL521.312.P39 2015
629.4092′396073—dc23
2014030513
doi:10.7560/772496
For Renee
—R ichard Paul
With love to Lewis M., June, and Susan Moss
—S teven Moss
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Contents
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1. A Man of Firsts: Julius Montgomery 12
2. “There Was a Lot of History There”: Theodis Ray 32
3. Stronger Than Steel: Frank Crossley 50
4. Dixie’s Role in the Space Age 68
5. First of Race in Space: Ed Dwight 89
6. The View from Space: George Carruthers 105
7. “Huntsville, It Has Always Been Unique”:
Delano Hyder and Richard Hall 123
8. The Country Spartacus: Clyde Foster 151
9. Water Walkers: Morgan Watson and George Bourda 188
Conclusion 221
Appendix: Relevant Census Numbers on Employed Professional
and Skilled Labor for NASA Host States 241
Notes 247
Acknowledgments 283
Index 287
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Preface
In 2008, the alumni office at Southern University– Baton Rouge
helped us find Frank Williams, one of the first six black engi-
neers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA). We contacted him at his home in New Orleans and asked if
he would sit for an interview. “Yeah, sure,” he said, though he quickly
added, “But you should talk to my daughter,” and handed her the phone.
Tarsia Williams was suspicious. “What’s this about?” she asked. We ex-
plained that we were producing a documentary and that her father
was important to its story. There had been an article in the New York
Times in 1964 that called him “a social pioneer.” He was one of the first
African American engineers at NASA. She was aghast. “He was what?”
She never knew there was an article in the New York Times. She never
knew he was one of the first black engineers at NASA. She knew none
of this. Now she was excited, but she was still concerned. “My father is
very sick,” she said. Still, we arranged to conduct the interview, hiring
a public radio producer in New Orleans to record Mr. Williams’s half
of the conversation.
When the day of the interview arrived, things did not go well. We
asked the first question and all Frank Williams could do was cough— a
long painful spasm of coughing that went on for nearly half a minute.
A second attempt was no better, or a third. After about five minutes,
Tarsia came back on the line. She was in tears. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
“I told you my father is very sick. He has mesothelioma, and I don’t
think you’re going to be able to get him to do anything but this. And
I’m so sad,” she continued. “This was going to be my chance to hear all
these stories. I’m sorry,” she said. The interview was over.