JU Presidential Global Citizen Award Honors NASA Astronaut Col. David R. Scott

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville University’s 2023 Presidential Global Citizen Award goes to Colonel David R. Scott, a NASA astronaut and the first man to drive the Lunar Rover on the surface of the moon.

JU President Tim Cost led a sit-down luncheon discussion with Colonel Scott after offering him the distinguished award and a JU jersey with the number 15 on the back, for Scott’s Apollo 15 mission.

Colonel Scott spent over an hour talking to Cost about the value of scientific exploration, sharing stories about the early days of the space program and all of the missions he went on during his tenure at NASA from 1963 to 1977.

Scott was a member of NASA’s Gemini VIII, Apollo 9, and Apollo 15 missions.

Scott first began training as a NASA astronaut, after earning a Master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from MIT, in addition to serving in the Air Force as an Experimental Test Pilot and Aerospace Research Pilot at Edwards Air Force Base.

“The idea of David quoting Plutarch, that knowledge and the mind is a fire to be lighted, is what we believe in here at the University,” President Cost said, as he held a cellphone in his hand to make the point, “we went to the Moon and back fifty years ago, with far less technology than you hold in your hand.”

The Greek philosopher Plutarch was a priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi.

Perhaps, that’s why when Colonel Scott landed back on Earth after a successful Apollo 15 journey, he said to TV reporters, “the mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled,” quoting the ancient thinker.

The afternoon luncheon gave way to an exclusive private screening of an educational film recently finished by Colonel Scott.

The film features the NASA astronauts’ training, and in-flight video of the journey to the moon and back, including exploration of the lunar surface.

With no official title yet, according to the JU Office of Marketing and Communication, “the film premiere of the historic Apollo 15 landing, produced from the personal archives of Col. David R. Scott,” highlights some of the iconic moments Scott and other astronauts like Neil Armstrong had together in the NASA program.

Exhilarating moments like the final descent of a thousand feet before the lunar module touches down in a crater on the moon.

Or perhaps, funny moments like Scott tripping and falling on the moon dust while bouncing/walking in the Moon’s atmosphere, which is 1/6th of Earth’s G-force.

The film brought to life stories that remain unknown to younger generations and provided a sense of playfulness and humility to the historic achievements of mankind going to space.

Among the most iconic footage in the film, Scott explains how he found the Genesis Rock, “sitting on top of a pedestal like somebody planted it there, covered with dust, but we both saw it at the same time and reported back to Dr. [Leon Theodore] Silver - we found what we came for.”

The Genesis Rock is a type of anorthosite, which is part of the original, primordial Lunar crust that is estimated to be over 4 billion years old.

For those who may have witnessed NASA’s original TV moment in 1971, the Galileo Test may have stuck out as a memorable science experiment, where Scott tested the Moon’s gravity by dropping a falcon feather and a hammer at the same time - Both landing at the same time.

Scott left the crowd curious and inspired saying, “tell your kids, your grandkids, and your nieces and nephews - Go explore a little bit. Jump into some other discipline. Find a great teacher. It’s really, really rewarding.”

Overall, Colonel Scott spent 546 hours and 54 minutes in outer space, including 20 hours and 46 minutes conducting Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), according to Jacksonville University’s Global Citizen Honoree page.

JU President Tim Cost’s statement on why he chose to honor Colonel David R. Scott is listed below.

Scott is one of the most extraordinary human beings on the face of the planet today. He’s the only living human being who commanded an Apollo Mission and walked on the moon. He’s the first man to ever sit down and drive the lunar rover. He was the commander of Apollo 15, which was the greatest scientific mission in Apollo’s day. It’s extraordinary to have him here.

When Colonel Scott comes to town, we’re going to talk about exploration. How is it with technology that wasn’t as advanced as today’s cell phone they put people on the moon and brought them back? The exploration of the mind and the spirit. How is it that we can discover and explore and innovate? He’s a scientist, he’s an engineer, he’s a West Point grad, he’s an MIT grad. So he’s as interested as we are in helping this next generation talk about what it takes to explore, and the idea of what’s out there. Are we the only ones here? Can our own fragile Planet withstand what we’re putting it through?

And so, for the first time, the global Citizen Award I guess will be the intergalactic Citizen Award!

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