Who is Ed Dwight? Birth, Age, Ethnicity, Nationality
Ed Dwight is a former test pilot and African-American sculptor who was the first African-American to enter the Air Force training program from which NASA selected astronauts.
His father played second base for the Kansas City Monarchs and he was born in the Kansas City region.
Dwight was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on September 9, 1933. In 2018, he is 89 years old.
Ed Dwight Family, Parents, Siblings, Education
Dwight attended grade school at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the first African-American man to graduate from Bishop Ward High School in 1951. Bishop Ward High School was a Roman Catholic private high school in Kansas City, Missouri.
Dwight was a part of the National Honor Society as well. He was awarded a bursary to the Kansas City Art Institute.
In 1953, he entered Kansas City Junior College and earned an Associate of Arts degree in Engineering. Dwight later enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he finished his airman and cadet pre-flight training at Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas.
Dwight then went to Malden Air Base in Malden, Missouri, to complete his primary flight training. In 1955, he was commissioned as an Air Force second lieutenant and posted to Williams Air Force Base, southeast of Phoenix, Arizona.
While he was training to become a test pilot, he took night classes at Arizona State University. Later that year, in 1957, Dwight received his B.S. in aerospace engineering.
Dwight later went on to finish Air Force courses in experimental test piloting and aerospace research at Edwards Air Force Base in 1961 and 1962, respectively.
Dwight resigned from the Air Force in 1966 due to racial discrimination and a lack of career opportunities.
He moved to Denver and earned an M.F.A. degree in sculpture from the University of Denver in 1977.
Professional Career of Ed Dwight
Dwight entered the United States Air Force in 1953. Later that year, while working as an Air Force test pilot, he graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
While fighting in the Air Force, he was promoted to captain.
In 1961, Frederick Dutton, special assistant to the president, wrote to Adam Yarmolinsky, special assistant to the secretary of defense to say that it was essential “that for symbolic purposes in crossing the frontiers of space, this nation would have qualified members from minority backgrounds.”
Shortly after, General Curtis LeMay, the Air Force Chief of Staff, told Chuck Yeager, who was heading the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) at Edwards Air Force Base, ” Bobby Kennedy wants a colored in space. Get one into your course.”
This communication set Dwight on a professional path that could have taken him to space. His selection drew international attention, and he appeared on the covers of news magazines like Ebony, Jet, and Sepia.
Dwight resigned from the Air Force in 1966 due to racial discrimination and a lack of career prospects.
Ed Dwight Net Worth, Salary, House
The Net worth of Ed Dwight is still yet to be revealed. His salary is under review. The real estate of Ed Dwight hasn’t yet been disclosed in the media.
Relationship, Married, Affair
There is no information about Dwight’s partner. As a result, it is unknown whether he is married or not.
Body Measurements: Height, Weight, Hair Color
He enjoys keeping himself in shape. There is no other information on his height, weight, or other physical characteristics.
Rumors and Controversies
Ed Dwight has not been involved in any issues, and we have not heard any rumors about her up to this point.