How Captain James A. Lovell Jr. overcame obstacles
Captain James A. Lovell Jr. encountered a series of setbacks, which included an initial rejection by the Naval Academy. After the United States Navy placed him on an “alternate” list, he decided to enter college at the University of Wisconsin under the Navy’s Holloway Plan — this allowed him to take flight lessons while pursuing his education. Eventually, Captain Lovell was formally accepted into the Naval Academy, where he wrote a term paper on the aspects of liquid fuel as a rocket propellant. Such ingenuity placed him in a select group of graduates — he was ready to become a test pilot in the Navy.
After making amazing headways during this part of his life, Captain Lovell was invited to try out for a spot on America’s first roster of astronaut pilots (those who would eventually become the “Mercury 7”) but he failed the physical exam. However, his perseverance eventually paid off — Captain Lovell tried a second time and was accepted into the Gemini program in 1962.
“If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again” is a message to museum visitors in the Journey with Jim Lovell gallery within the Adler Planetarium’s Shoot for the Moon exhibition.
Please tell us about a time when you had to deal with an obstacle in your life, what did you do and how did you overcome the obstacle.