VIRGIL GARNETT TRICE, JR.

Trice (1926- ) was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and received a Master of Science degree from Purdue University in 1945 and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1970. From 1947 until 1971, he served as a chemical engineer at the Argonne National Laboratory and as a Nuclear Waste management Engineer for the Energy Research and Development Administration for six years after that. Trice was first a Senior Program Analyst (1977-81), then Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy from 1981.

O. S. (OZZOE) WILLIAMS

Williams (1921- ), Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, was the first black Aeronautical Engineer to be hired by Republic Aviation, Inc. during World War II, and within four years was promoted to Senior Aerodynamicist. After the war he joined Greer Hydraulics, Inc., where he became the group project engineer from 1956 to 1962. At Greer he helped develop the first airborne radar beacon, used for locating crashed aircraft. Also a designer of small rocket engines, Williams started an association with Thiokol Chemical Corporation from 1962 until his retirement. In 1961 he joined Grumman International, where he was a Rocket Propulsion Engineer, developing and testing the control systems that were used in guiding the lunar modules during NASA's Apollo moon landings. Ozzie Williams eventually became Vice President of Grumman International, in charge of trade and industrial relations with emerging African nations.

JOHN BROOKS SLAUGHTER

Slaughter (1934- ) was born in Topeka, Kansas, and earned a Ph.D. in Engineering Science in 1971 from the University of California at San Diego. From 1960-75, Slaughter was the Physical Science Administrator for Information Systems at the Naval Electronics Laboratory Center, and between 1957 and 1977 he served as Director of Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington. Slaughter was the first African-American to serve as Director of the National Science Foundation (1980-1982), by Presidential appointment by Ronald Reagan. Winner of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Award in 1997 and UCLA's Medal of Excellence in 1989, Dr. Slaughter was also honored with the first "U.S. Black Engineer of the Year" award in 1987. He is currently President and CEO of NACME, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.