1989-04-12
The President today announced his intention to nominate James R. Thompson, Jr., to be Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He would succeed Dale D. Myers.
Since 1986 Mr. Thompson has served as Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. He has served in various positions with NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center, including associate director for engineering in the science and engineering directorate; manager of the space shuttle main engine project in the shuttle projects office; liquid propulsion system engineer, 1963; lead engineer in the space engine section; and chief of the space engine section, 1968. He was chief of the man/systems integration branch, 1969 - 1974; manager of the main engine project of the shuttle projects office, 1974 - 1982; and associate director for engineering directorate, 1982 - 1983. He was deputy director for technical operations at the Princeton Applied Physics Laboratory, 1983 - 1986. He served as the vice chairman of the NASA task force inquiring into the cause of the space shuttle Challenger accident.
Mr. Thompson graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S., 1958) and the University of Florida (M.S., 1963). He received the NASA Medal for Exceptional Service in 1973, and the NASA Medal for Distinguished Service in 1981. He was born in Greenville, SC.
