20. He got numerous honorary degrees before finding fame as an astronaut
We said right at the start that there’s so much more to Ronald McNair than space. His contemporaries certainly thought so, and before becoming a famous astronaut Ronald was honored accordingly. In 1978, North Carolina AT&T gave him an honorary doctorate in Law. He got another in science from Morris College. 1979 saw Ronald named a Distinguished National Scientist by the National Society of Black Professional Engineers. More awards only followed his fame as an astronaut. In 1984, after his first orbit, the University of South Carolina followed suit and gave him an honorary doctorate in science.