[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 106 (Friday, July 1, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO LT. COL. EILEEN MARIE COLLINS, TRAILBLAZING FIRST WOMAN NASA 
                     SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT COMMANDER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 1, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as the representative of the 18th 
Congressional District of Texas, and on behalf of its constituents 
within the City of Houston, which is home to the Johnson Space Center, 
I rise to pay tribute to Lt. Colonel Eileen Marie Collins, the first 
woman to command a Space Shuttle mission in the long and storied 
history of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
  Lt. Colonel Eileen Marie Collins was born in Elmira, New York on 
November 19, 1956.
  As a child, Eileen Collins dreamed about space and of becoming an 
astronaut.
  The Collins family wanted the young Eileen to attend college but did 
not have the money to send her.
  So after graduating from high school, Eileen Collins attended Corning 
Community College where her hard work and superior academic performance 
enabled her to win a scholarship to Syracuse University, from which she 
graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and 
economics.
  Not stopping there, Eileen Collins went on to earn a Master of 
Science degree in operations research from Stanford University and a 
Master of Arts degree in space systems management from Webster 
University.
  In 1979, Eileen Collins graduated from Air Force Undergraduate Pilot 
Training at Vance Air Force Base and was commissioned as an officer, 
where her excellent performance earned her several promotions, up to 
and including her current rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
  In 1990, while attending the Air Force Test Pilot School, Eileen 
Collins was selected for the astronaut program and realized her 
childhood dream of becoming an astronaut when she completed her 
training and earned her appointment as a NASA astronaut.
  Just four short years later, Eileen Collins made history when she 
became the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle mission (STS-9) on 
February 2, 1995.
  Lt. Col. Collins made history once again on July 23, 1999, when she 
became the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission.
  Lt. Colonel Collins is also a wife and mother, but on top of all 
these titles and distinctions she is an inspiration for many women 
throughout the world.
  Mr. Speaker, the extraordinary achievements of Lt. Colonel Eileen 
Marie Collins are a tribute to her hard work and perseverance, but they 
also reflect favorably upon the nation that made it possible for her to 
take advantage of opportunities that enabled her to realize her dreams.
  In the end, this is what really makes America great.
  From Sally Ride to Mae Jemison, women pioneers in the space program 
have made great strides in opening doors and opportunities for women 
and because of them no dream is impossible for American women, whether 
it is commanding a NASA space shuttle or becoming President of the 
United States.

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