Edward "Ed" Buckbee attended launches of Alan Shepard and John Glenn, as well as the Apollo moon mission launches. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
The Huntsville City Council recognized Ed Buckbee, founder of U.S. Space Camp and first director of what is now the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, via proclamation on Thursday.
The big picture: Described in the proclamation as "a pillar of the U.S. space program since 1959," Buckbee worked with Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts in his time with NASA.
In 1961, he started as the public affairs officer for the newly-formed Marshall Space Flight Center, and in 1970 was appointed by Wernher Von Braun to lead the Space & Rocket Center.
He celebrated his 89th birthday Sept. 15.
What they're saying: Council member David Little opted to read the entire proclamation at Thursday's council meeting, saying "we're gonna make sure everybody knows what you've done for the community."
Little also presented Buckbee a similar proclamation at the state level by Rep. Rex Reynolds.
The bottom line: "His extraordinary contributions to space exploration and museum education," and "his achievements have made a lasting impact on the City of Huntsville," the proclamation says.
