Ride, Sally, Ride

Lost a true American hero and inspiration to many young girls (and boys) with the passing of Astronaut Sally Ride today.

The first American woman in space, it's quite likely Sally would not have taken a ride into space (twice) if it were not for Title IX and the various doors it opened to young women.

Most who know about Title IX think it applies only to sports, but athletics is only one of areas addressed by the law. Included among the 10 specific areas are: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Math, Science, and Technology.

Just completing her Ph.D in Physics at Stanford when I first met her in the late '70's, it was easy to see she was not only brilliant, but adventuresome. When I parked my Air Force T-38 next to a NASA T-38 in Houston, something I done at least a dozen times before, it was quite a surprise to see a WOMAN in the NASA cockpit. I followed her career closely for many years after that.

Not only an inspiration to others, Sally worked diligently through the years encouraging young women to explore careers in math and science in an attempt to close the gender gap in those fields.

She is missed.


1978 or 1979

When I was young I thought rockets were about the coolest thing there was and I looked up to astronauts like Sally because they got to fly on them into space. I really was shocked and saddened to hear of her passing.