[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 15, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H2802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF FREDERICK AURELIUS ``RELE'' EVANS
(Mr. PALMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PALMER. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate a life well-lived.
Frederick Aurelius ``Rele'' Evans passed away last month at the age
of 94. After graduating high school in Tuscaloosa, he joined the Navy.
After his service, he enrolled at Tulane University and earned a
bachelor of science in electrical engineering.
Following his college graduation, he joined the Air Force and became
a fighter pilot, protecting Strategic Air Command while stationed in
Sioux City, Iowa.
Following his time in the military, he became employed as a test
pilot for Hughes Aircraft and later worked for TRW. While working for
TRW, he earned a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at UCLA, specializing
in control systems theory.
Rele was the lead guidance engineer at Cape Canaveral when John Glenn
was put into orbit, and he designed the on-board computer's guidance
system for the lunar lander. He also coauthored the formula to put
Apollo on the Moon and was present at Mission Control when Neil
Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind. He eventually returned to
Alabama.
Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the contributions Rele made to our
military, our space program, and the State of Alabama. I wish his
family the best as they mourn the loss of this modest man who
accomplished much.
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