King Alma Mater Recognizes NASA Administrator's Achievements

News provided by

Feb 19, 2013, 02:14 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has received the Candle in Military Service and Aeronautical Science Award from Morehouse College in Atlanta. The award recognizes exceptional achievement in a field by an African-American man.

(Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

"It's an honor to be recognized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s alma mater and a privilege to share this recognition with the other distinguished recipients," Bolden said. "This award is a tribute to the NASA workforce that is creating the future today as it always has, and I'm blessed to be at the helm guiding our country to new destinations like an asteroid and Mars."

The award is part of the college's Founder's Day celebrations. Others recognized by Morehouse with Candle awards include actor Laurence J. Fishburne and businessman and former NBA All-star Ulysses L. "Junior" Bridgeman.

Bolden is NASA's first African-American administrator. He was appointed by President Obama in 2009 after a 34-year military career and 14 years as an astronaut, during which he flew four times on the space shuttle.

For more information about Bolden and NASA programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA