[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17950-17951]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER JOHN C. HOUBOLT'S JOLIET AREA 
                  HISTORICAL MUSEUM PERMANENT EXHIBIT

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                       HON. DEBORAH L. HALVORSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 15, 2009

  Mrs. HALVORSON. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Aeronautical 
Engineer John C. Houbolt, an unsung champion of space exploration and 
intelligence, who is going to be eternalized at the Joliet Area 
Historical Museum with a permanent exhibit entitled ``The Soaring 
Achievements of John C. Houbolt.''
  Houbolt played a critical role in the infancy of space exploration 
when he discovered, adopted, and then championed the lunar flight path 
called ``Lunar Orbit Rendezvous.'' (LOB) In June 1961, LOR was chosen 
for the Apollo program and this critical decision was viewed as vital 
to ensuring that man reached the Moon in the 1960's, as President John 
F. Kennedy had proposed and, in the process, saved billions of dollars 
and time by efficiently using existing rocket technology.
  Houbolt never lost faith in LOR even when his theories faced strong 
opposition from others in his field. His humble persistence and 
determination are a testament to his passion for knowledge and his own 
ideas. It is this fervor and intelligence that allowed him to not only 
be an inspiration for men and women all over the nation interested in 
space discovery, but also other important figures in space exploration, 
like Buzz Aldrin, who has expressed much admiration for Houbolt.
  On May 15, 2005, Houbolt was granted an honorary doctorate from the 
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for his lifetime achievements, 
even after earning his Bachelor's degree in 1940 and his Master's 
degree in 1942 in Civil Engineering. Houbolt didn't stop there, 
however, obtaining a PhD in Technical Sciences in 1957 from the Swiss 
Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.

[[Page 17951]]

  Although no other human being contributed more in making the Apollo 
lunar landings possible, Houbolt's contributions to Apollo's mission do 
not define this man as his contributions will continue to reverberate 
into the future of aeronautical engineering. John C. Houbolt has left 
his influential mark on the field of space exploration and will 
continue to be an inspiration to those just entering the field or 
becoming interested in the universe around us. It is with great pride 
that I recognize all of his many accomplishments upon the event of this 
exhibit.

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