South Carolina Focus

The Palmetto State has produced numerous astronauts and scientists. A South Carolinian, Charles Townes of Greenville, invented the laser, and another native, Dr. Ron McNair, was the first person to operate a laser in space in his role as a NASA astronaut. A physicist, McNair was killed in the tragic explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986. It was his second excursion into space. McNair had a thirst for knowledge even as a child. His brother, Carl, was interviewed by NPR's StoryCorps project and recalled a story from Ron's childhood in which the 9-year-old defied tradition in the Jim Crow South at the "public" library in his hometown of Lake City. The story illustrates both his desire for education and his courage in the face of the segregated society of his youth. In addition, Carl McNair tells of the times in the mid-1960s when the TV series Star Trek depicted the races - alien species as well - working together in the future. "I looked at it as science fiction,