posted 02-11-2010 09:51 AM               

3rd Lincoln Leadership Prize Dinner Honoring NASA Astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr.
February 11, 2010
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

Join Tom Hanks, our lead sponsor AT&T, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library foundation board of Directors in honoring NASA astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr., with the presentation of the third Lincoln Leadership Prize. The prestigious award takes on additional significance as this year marks the 40th anniversary of Lovell's command of Apollo 13.

Among America's heroic astronauts, Lovell is regarded as a leader of near mythic proportion, maintaining calm and discipline aboard Apollo 13 while the mission experienced monumental equipment failures that threatened to leave the crew stranded in outer space. Commander Lovell and his crew successfully modified their lunar module into an effective lifeboat, assuring their survival in space and their safe return to Earth.

Lovell, an experienced navy aviator and test pilot prior to being selected for the Gemini program, served in various command positions during four space missions including pilot and navigator on the Apollo 8's six-day journey to the Moon, backup commander to Neil Armstrong for the Apollo 11, and commander of Apollo 13. In 1994 Lovell and Jeff Kluger wrote Lost Moon, which was re-released as Apollo 13 and filmed in 1995 with Tom Hanks playing to role of Jim Lovell.