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| NASA Outstanding Leadership |
Biography
Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. was a founding Mission Control Flight Director for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Christopher Kraft was born on 28 Feb 1924 in Phoebus, Virginia. He was the son of Christopher Kraft Sr. and Vanda (Suddreth) Kraft. The 1930 census[1] lists Christopher as living with his family in Phoebus, Virginia where his father is an accountant.
| Household | Role | Sex | Age | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Kraft | Head | M | 37 | New York |
| Vanda O Kraft | Wife | F | 37 | North Carolina |
| Christopher Kraft | Son | M | 6 | Virginia |
| Clara M Albright | Mother | F | 78 | Germany |
In 1942 Christopher graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic. Christopher began working at NACA and developed important skills.
On 02 Sep 1950 Christopher married Elizabeth Anne Turnbull in Phoebus, Virginia. [2] They have two children.
On July 29, 1958 when NASA was created by President Eisenhower, Christopher was one of the original engineers assigned to Project Mercury. He helped create the Mission Control Center at Cape Canaveral. He served as flight director and became the head of mission operations during the Gemini program.
He was promoted to head of the flight operations during the Apollo missions and assumed the role of director in 1972. Christopher received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal from President John F. Kennedy. In 2011, NASA named the mission control center in his honor.
Christopher Kraft Jr. passed away on 22 Jul 2019 in Houston, Texas.[3] [4] He is buried[5] at Saint Thomas Apostle Episcopal Church Columbarium, Houston, Harris County, Texas next to Elizabeth.
Sources
- ↑ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CDPZ-T2M : Mon Mar 18 20:36:52 UTC 2024), Entry for Christopher Kraft and Vanda O Kraft, 1930.
- ↑ "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014," Ancestry.com. Ancestry Record 9279 #11497529
- ↑ Obituary, The Washington Post, 22 Jul 2019
- ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #201405142 for Christopher C. Kraft (1924-2019) accessed on 23 Jul 2019
- ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/201405142/christopher_c-kraft: accessed November 19, 2024), memorial page for Christopher C. Kraft (28 Feb 1924–22 Jul 2019), Find a Grave Memorial ID 201405142, citing Saint Thomas Apostle Episcopal Church Columbarium, Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.
See also:
- Christopher C. Kraft Jr. on Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
- This WikiTree profile is referenced from Wikidata: Item Q735104, en:Wikipedia
- Ancestry Profile: #192119132564
- "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRYP-Q98 : 14 March 2018), Christopher C Kraft in household of Christopher C Kraft, Ward 3, Phoebus, Chesapeake Magisterial District, Elizabeth City, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 28-3, sheet 8B, line 45, family 229, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4259.
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49082897
- https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L58L-K4W
- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/201405142/christopher_c_kraft
