Ed Dwight
| Edward Joseph Dwight, Jr. | |
|---|---|
Dwight while serving as a Captain in the United States Air Force
|
|
| Born |
September 9, 1933 Kansas City, Kansas |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Arizona State University & University of Denver |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Website | eddwight |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1953–1966 |
| Rank |
 Captain
|
Edward Joseph (Ed) Dwight, Jr. (born September 9, 1933) is an African-American sculptor and former test pilot who was the first African American to be trained as an astronaut.
Dwight was born in the Kansas City, Kansas area on September 9, 1933 to Edward Dwight, Sr. and Georgia Baker Dwight. His father played second baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs.
As a child, he was an avid reader and talented artist who was mechanically gifted and enjoyed working with his hands.
Dwight joined the United States Air Force in 1953. In 1957, while serving as an Air Force test pilot, he earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Arizona State University. He received the rank of captain while serving in the Air Force.
In 1961, the Kennedy administration selected Dwight as the first African American astronaut trainee, at the suggestion of the National Urban League's Whitney Young. His selection garnered international media attention, and Dwight appeared on the covers of newsmagazines such as Ebony, Jet, and Sepia.
Despite facing discrimination from other astronauts, Dwight persevered until the assassination of President Kennedy, after which government officials created a threatening atmosphere and he was assigned to be a liaison officer in Germany to a non-existent German test pilot school. As a result of this climate, he resigned from the Air Force in 1966.
After resigning from the Air Force, Dwight worked as an engineer, in real estate, and for IBM. He learned how to operate the University of Denver's metal casting foundry in the mid 1970s, and received a Master of Fine Arts from the University in 1977.
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