Baylor University (TX): NASA 50: Race to Space

This is an important year in the life of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It marks the 50th anniversary of the first orbital space flight by an American, John Glenn; the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's speech, "We Choose to go to the Moon," delivered at Rice University; and the 40th anniversary of the final two flights of the Apollo program, Apollo 16 and 17, in 1972.

Several years ago Poage director Ben Rogers was approached by Bob Newton of Granbury, TX about his mother's cartoon collection that included a number of editorial cartoons related to the space program. Astronauts flying on the missions represented therein signed many of the cartoons.

Along the way Poage Library received NASA-related materials from Jack Hightower (Austin), Ben Guttery (Ft. Worth) and Nick Stewart (Dallas) and Soviet–era cosmonaut materials from Bob Platt (Ft. Worth) and Melvin Schuetz (Waco).

An open date in the library's exhibit schedule provided the opportunity to present this NASA anniversary exhibit to the local community.

Included in the exhibit are a scale model of the space shuttle and astronaut helmet and glove loaned by NASA, the Helen Newton editorial cartoon collection courtesy of Bob and Bonnie Newton, cosmonaut books from Melvin Schuetz, cosmonaut pins and stamps from Bob Platt, NASA patches, magazines and books from Ben Guttery, NASA photographs from Frank Jasek (Waco), space postage stamps and first day covers from Ben Rogers (Ft. Worth), NASA press kit photographs and printed materials from Poage Library collections donated by Jack Hightower and Nick Stewart, and vintage newspapers, Moon globe and Baylor flag on loan from the Mayborn Museum of Baylor University.

The exhibit titled NASA 50: Race to Space, will be in the Poage Exhibit Gallery from April to July. The library is open 9-5, Monday through Friday.

W.R. Poage Legislative Library is part of Baylor University Libraries, functioning as a special collections library and research facility that collects congressional records and personal papers related to the political history of Central Texas. It was established in 1979 in honor of Congressman W.R. Poage, Baylor alumnus and retired public official whose career spanned over fifty years.

The library supports programs designed to inform and educate students, scholars, and the general public on the history of Congress, the legislative process, and current issues facing both local, state and national governments.

The library encourages the preservation of materials that document the work of government, including the papers of U.S. congressional representatives, Texas state legislators, and judges, and supports programs that make those materials available for educational and research use.

The W.R. Poage Legislative Library is located on the first floor of the W. R. Poage Legislative Library for Graduate Studies and Research between Moody and Jones libraries on the Baylor University campus in Waco, Texas.