*On March 13, 2025, the Columbia Memorial House Heart in Downey, California, will function the backdrop for a momentous event as Ethel L. Lee, affectionately generally known as “House Shuttle Ethel,” celebrates her 99th birthday.
This occasion not solely commemorates Ethel’s exceptional contributions to NASA and the world of aerospace but additionally highlights the continued significance of S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Know-how, Engineering, Arts, and Arithmetic) training for future generations. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn will announce a beneficiant $50,000 grant aimed toward Okay-16 House training, which is able to assist the nonprofit work of Ethel’s granddaughter, Daphne Bradford, founder and CEO of Mom of Many (M.O.M.).
As a part of the occasion, scheduled for five:45 p.m., Supervisor Hahn will lead a press convention attended by Ethel Lee, Daphne Bradford, and Ben Dickhow, the President of the Columbia Memorial House Heart. The importance of this celebration throughout Ladies’s Historical past Month can’t be overstated, because it showcases a legacy of groundbreaking achievements and ongoing efforts to encourage younger minds to discover careers in science and expertise.
At present on show on the Columbia Memorial House Heart is the exhibit titled “House Shuttle Ethel: The NASA Lifetime of Ethel Lee.” This exhibition pays homage to Ethel’s extraordinary aerospace profession, throughout which she was instrumental in constructing NASA’s first six area shuttles, together with Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour, and Enterprise (the latter being a take a look at car that by no means flew in area). It additionally displays the exceptional lineage of achievements inside the Lee household, with Ethel’s daughter, Linda Lee Njaka, contributing to the Apollo 11 mission and her granddaughter, Daphne, persevering with the household legacy within the twenty first century as a passionate advocate for S.T.E.A.M. training.
Born in 1926 in Hooks, Texas, Ethel’s journey to changing into a NASA legend started beneath difficult circumstances. After leaving faculty to assist her household by selecting potatoes—a activity she loathed—Ethel returned to teachers, graduating on the prime of her highschool class at simply 16 years outdated. Following marriage and the opening of a household restaurant in Southern California, her life took a transformative flip within the early Sixties. Motivated by President John F. Kennedy’s bold imaginative and prescient for area exploration, Ethel determined to use for a job at Rockwell Worldwide with no formal engineering background. To her astonishment, she was employed simply three days later, launching a 32-year profession that might make her a formidable drive in aerospace.
At Rockwell, Ethel confronted the distinctive challenges of being the one African American lady on her crew, working in an atmosphere that was predominantly male. Regardless of the obstacles, her resilience and willpower allowed her to thrive. As her granddaughter Daphne remembers, Ethel was a “robust cookie” who made vital contributions to the area shuttle program, all whereas endearing herself to colleagues along with her culinary abilities and heat.
Past her technical prowess, Ethel is well known for her tenacity and dedication to her beliefs, typically imparting knowledge to youthful generations. In a reflective second throughout a FOX 11 interview at age 98, Ethel shared her recommendation: “Imagine in your self, belief in God, and work arduous.” Her insights resonate profoundly right this moment, significantly as her story evokes numerous people to pursue careers in science and expertise.
The upcoming birthday celebration holds extra than simply private significance for Ethel; it additionally symbolizes a motion towards recognizing and uplifting underrepresented figures within the aerospace trade. The grant introduced by Supervisor Hahn will gas initiatives that encourage younger college students by S.T.E.A.M. applications, serving to to form the subsequent era of innovators and thinkers.
Because the occasion unfolds, company will have a good time not solely Ethel’s spectacular achievements but additionally the broader implications of her household’s legacy in area exploration. From the show of Ethel’s private journey to the continuing work of Mom Of Many, the night guarantees to highlight the important want for training and empowerment in S.T.E.A.M.
“House Shuttle Ethel’s” 99th Birthday PartyWhen: March 13, 2025Time: 6pm – 8pm PacificWhere: Columbia Memorial House Center12400 Columbia WayDowney, CA 90242
Ethel L. Lee’s nickname, “House Shuttle Ethel,” serves as a testomony to her hands-on function within the development of NASA’s iconic area shuttles and her journey from humble beginnings to changing into a trailblazer in aerospace historical past. As she approaches her 99th birthday, her story continues to shine brightly, reminding us all the significance of perseverance, dedication, and neighborhood assist within the pursuit of data and achievement.
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