Tennessee Tech University honored two-time graduate, university trustee and astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore upon his retirement from NASA after 25 years of service and 464 total days in space.
Tech President Phil Oldham released the following statement:
“Captain Wilmore is the best of us. He is a role model for our students, an inspiration to this entire campus community and a personal friend to me. His determination, faith and Tennessee Tech education have taken him beyond what most of us could ever imagine. From his service on our Board of Trustees, to his video calls with our students from the International Space Station, we are enormously proud that, at every turn in his journey, he has remembered his Golden Eagle roots.”
“Captain Wilmore’s remarkable career at NASA has landed him in the history books. With his well-deserved retirement, we look forward to more opportunities to welcome him, Deanna, and their daughters Daryn and Logan back to Cookeville, where he will always have a place of honor on this campus.”
In a statement from NASA, Joe Acaba, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, praised Wilmore’s “mastery of complex systems, coupled with his adaptability and steadfast commitment to NASA’s mission.”
Wilmore became a household name after technical challenges on the recent Boeing Starliner mission led to a more-than-nine-month stay at the International Space Station before he and fellow astronaut Suni Williams returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Most recently, Wilmore was honored at Tech’s June 26 Board of Trustees meeting with the “Order of the Eagle Award,” the university’s highest honor, which has only been awarded once previously in Tech’s 110-year history. Also at the meeting, trustees unanimously passed a resolution naming the university’s pedestrian walkway and plaza “Wilmore Way.” A formal dedication is slated for later this fall.
Wilmore holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tech’s College of Engineering. He received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2012, received Tech’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2010 and was inducted into Tech’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Wilmore’s term on the university’s Board of Trustees lasts until 2026.
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