John Bennett Herrington: Native American Astronaut

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In 2002 John Bennett Herrington made history as the first member of a federally recognized Native American tribe to reach outer space. Herrington- an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma- as a special tribute to his Native American heritage carried six eagle feathers, a braid of sweet grass, arrowheads, sacred ground and the Chickasaw Nation flag into orbit. Born in 1958 in Wetumka, Oklahoma, Herrington’s family moved fourteen times during his school years and he ended up graduating from Plano High School in Plano, Texas. I recently had a chance to visit with Mr. Herrington and he told me, he started college at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs and was enrolled as a part-time student and working at a local restaurant. He was suspended with a 1.72 grade average because as he stated “ I didn’t put the effort into it.” From my research I’ve discovered he loves rock climbing and he went to work as a rock surveyor in 1977 and his boss encouraged him to go back to college because he had a knack for math and engineering. He also tutored a retired navy pilot in mathematics and the pilot encouraged Mr. Herrington to enlist in the Navy. He listened to his friends and went back to college and later joined the navy. Herrington graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado. He later went to the United States Naval Academy and graduated with a Master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He once said “I think a lot of people need to realize that you can fall down, but you have to get back up and keep running.” “ You just have to keep trying.“ Herrington really enjoys math and science and wants all stu... ... middle of paper ... ...ifetime in the fields of Science and Mathematics, He has never forgotten where he came from and his heritage. Despite the fact that Mr. Herrington is a very busy man, he was very accommodating and helpful with this paper and is a true inspiration, not only to me but other Native Americans as well. http://pagerankstudio.com/Blog/2011/01/john-bennett-herrington-biography-life-and-career-facts/ http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_hist_nna_johnherrington http://www.rocketrek.com/ Works Cited http://pagerankstudio.com/Blog/2011/01/john-bennett-herrington-biography-life-and-career-facts/ http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_hist_nna_johnherrington http://www.rocketrek.com/

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