James C. Fletcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4th and 7th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
| In office May 12, 1986 – April 8, 1989 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan George H.W Bush |
| Preceded by | James M. Beggs |
| Succeeded by | Richard H. Truly |
| In office April 27, 1971 – May 1, 1977 | |
| President | Richard M. Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Thomas O. Paine |
| Succeeded by | Robert A. Frosch |
| 8th President of the University of Utah | |
| In office 1964–1971 | |
| Preceded by | A. Ray Olpin |
| Succeeded by | Alfred C. Emery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 5, 1919 Millburn, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 1991 (aged 72) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772000°N 111.858000°W |
| Alma mater | Columbia University California Institute of Technology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Cloud chamber studies of cosmic rays (1948) |
| Doctoral advisor | Carl David Anderson |
James Chipman Fletcher (June 5, 1919 – December 22, 1991) served as the 4th and 7th Administrator of NASA, first from April 27, 1971, to May 1, 1977, under President Richard M. Nixon, and again from May 12, 1986, to April 8, 1989, under President Ronald Reagan. As such, he was responsible for Apollo Moon missions 15, 16, and 17, the early planning of the Space Shuttle program, and later for the shuttle program's recovery and return to flight after the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. Prior to this, he was president of the University of Utah from 1964 to 1971.