James Crocker, vice president and general manager/civil space for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., was introduced as Honoree of the Year for 2015 when the hosted a luncheon at the Colorado School of Mines.
Crocker, who began as a junior engineer for Apollo 17, has led some of the world’s most important projects in astronomy and astrophysics. He conceived the idea and led the team that developed COSTAR, the solution to the flawed optics of the Hubble Space Telescope and had a major role in the design and construction of the world’s largest astronomical observatory, the (VLT) in northern Chile.
Crocker thanked the group by noting he is proud to be associated with an organization such as ARCS. He said he was particularly pleased to know that in addition to monetary support, members also provide personal support to the scholars.
Promoting their creativity and innovation, he said, “will help raise the world … by improving the places we live, curing disease and taking us to the stars.”
Crocker will be honored again in May, when ARCS has its annual fundraising gala.
In addition to introducing Crocker, the luncheon emceed by CBS4 news anchor Jim Benemann also was the occasion for the Colorado chapter to award a record $233,000 in scholarships to 46 Colorado college students whose majors include aerospace engineering, computer science, medicine and veterinary medicine.
Each of them received grants of $5,000 to pursue studies at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado-Denver, the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, Colorado State University and Colorado School of Mines.
Myles W. “Bill” Scoggins, president of Colorado School of Mines, also was a guest at the luncheon and echoed Crocker’s thought that the scholars will go on to “make enormous contributions to our contry and the world.”
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
