Former astronaut honored

By INGA LUKAVICIUTE

Smiling, dressed in a space suit and holding his helmet in a picture: the late Col. Rick Husband was memorialized in bronze on a plaque unveiled at Fresno State Saturday morning.

Bill Norris, creator of the plaque and Andrew Hoff, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, unveiled the memorial to a small group of faculty, university officials, students and community members in front of the Engineering East building.

Husband, a Fresno State alumnus and astronaut, died on Feb. 1, 2003 returning from a science and research mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, when the shuttle broke up and its crew died during re-entry into the atmosphere above the southern United States.

Hoff started the ceremony by expressing best his wishes to Evelyn Husband, widow of the NASA astronaut. She planned to attend but had to stay at home due to pneumonia. Hoff described Husband as “a man who lived his life to the fullest” and served as an inspirational leader to the world.

“I always like to come talk about Rick whenever I can,” said Col. Steve Lindsey, an astronaut who spoke at the ceremony on behalf of NASA and Husband’s family.

“Rick was one of the finest persons I had the pleasure of meeting,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey described Husband as an extraordinary pilot, exceptional leader, man of integrity, strong and courageous, and “someone who would do anything to help anyone in need.”

Husband was not only a commander, father and astronaut, but also a man of faith, Norris said after unveiling a plaque, his first public piece of art.

Norris, a retired high school teacher who took art classes at Fresno State a few years ago as a 60-plus-year old student, contacted Dana Lucka, development director, at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and proposed a plaque to memorialize Husband as a class project. “It all went from there,” Norris said.

“It was my long-time dream to compose a public piece of art,” and Husband’s faith and vocalization of it inspired Norris to create the plaque, he said.

A computer-generated portrait of Husband, by Henry Duong, an adjunct faculty member in electrical engineering and an artist, was presented to Lindsey on behalf of the college of engineering for the Husband family.

“It is a very special day for us to permanently commemorate (Husband’s) relationship to Fresno State,” said Peter Smits, vice president for university advancement.

The alumni chapter for the College of Engineering and Computer Science has taken steps to honor Husband by establishing a scholarship in his name and funding the plaque, said Donald Fantz, president of the chapter. Having alumni like Husband shows what possibilities there are for future engineers, Fantz said.

NASA selected Husband as an astronaut candidate in 1994. He commanded the Space Shuttle Columbia on its 16-day science and research mission in January 2003.

Husband took a Fresno State sweatshirt to wear in space during his last flight, as a tribute to the university he graduated from in 1990 after earning his master of science degree in mechanical engineering.

In 2002, Husband received the Top Dog alumnus award from the Fresno State Alumni Association. He was unable to come to Fresno to accept it since he was training for the Columbia mission. His wife Evelyn, attended the Top Dog Award dinner in 2003 at Save Mart Center and accepted her late husband’s award.

Evelyn Husband may come in June to visit Fresno State and view the plaque commemorating her late husband, Smits said.