Mr. James (Jim) B. Odom was a pioneer in our nation’s space program, including the Saturn launch vehicles that put the first man on the moon. He began his engineering career with Chemstrand Corporation in Decatur, AL. In 1956, while a serviceman, he accepted an engineering position with the U.S. Army’s Rocket & Research Development team at Redstone Arsenal and was involved with the development of Redstone and Jupiter missiles. He transferred to the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1959, prior to its formal establishment in 1960. At the Marshall Center, Mr. Odom held various engineering and technical positions that virtually spanned America’s entire spaceflight program. He was actively involved in the development of earth satellites and unmanned space probes prior to his assignment as chief of the Engineering and Test Operations Branch for the second stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. In April 1973, Mr. Odom received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal for his outstanding technical and management leadership and effectiveness in the design, development, verification, and launch support of the S-2 stages. In September 1981, he received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his outstanding contributions to the development of the Space Shuttle and its successful first orbital flight test. In June1985, he was awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive in recognition of sustained accomplishments and exceptional technical and managerial performance marked by contributions to the External Tank; also, in recognition of significant advances made under his leadership in the management of the Space Telescope Project.