This year the nation will observe the 56th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which put the American space program on the world stage. If race relations were different, it was possible that sculptor Ed Dwight could have been the first astronaut for NASA.
Dwight was born on September 9, 1933 in Kansas City, Mo. His father was a player for the Kansas City Monarchs, and as a boy he showed promised as an artist. After high school, Dwight entered Kansas City Junior College, earning an A.A. degree in Engineering before entering the Air Force in 1953. As a cadet and airman, Dwight completed his training and was stationed at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona. At night, Dwight studied at Arizona State University, earning his B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1957.