119-hr1626

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1626 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1626

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Edward J. Dwight, Jr., the first 
 African-American astronaut candidate in the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 26, 2025

 Mr. Neguse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Edward J. Dwight, Jr., the first 
 African-American astronaut candidate in the United States.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Edward J. Dwight, Jr., Congressional 
Gold Medal Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Edward Joseph Dwight, Jr., was born on September 9, 
 1933, to Georgia Baker Dwight and Edward Dwight, Sr., in Kansas 
 City, Kansas. Ed Senior had been a second baseman and center 
 fielder for the Kansas City Monarchs and played on other all-
 Black teams from 1924 to 1937. Georgia was a devoted mother who 
 enrolled her son in a Head Start type program at the age of 2 
 and made sure to expose her children to as much culture as she 
 could.

    (2) Edward Joseph Dwight, Jr., grew up with a passion for 
 art and airplanes.

    (3) Edward became the first African-American male to 
 graduate from Bishop Ward Catholic High School in 1951. He then 
 earned an associate degree in engineering in 1953 from Kansas 
 City Junior College. That same year he left to join the Air 
 Force and began flight training.

    (4) After completing flight training, he served as a 
 military pilot and obtained a degree in aeronautical 
 engineering from Arizona State University. During his career as 
 an officer in the Air Force, Edward served at bases in Texas, 
 Missouri, and Arizona, developing technical manuals and 
 training fellow pilots on various instruments, as he 
 accumulated flight hours.

    (5) Edward recalled, ``I was the only Black officer pilot 
 just about every base I was stationed'' and that even at 5'4", 
 he ``got award after award''. While in the Air Force, Edward 
 earned his Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering from 
 Arizona State University in 1957.

    (6) Edward flew some of the most advanced aircraft of the 
 era and ultimately accumulated over 9,000 hours of flight time, 
 2,000 in high-performance jets. His engineering background and 
 extensive training opened the door for him to enter the test 
 pilot school where the most successful trainees become 
 astronauts.

    (7) Edward was chosen by President John F. Kennedy to enter 
 training as an experimental test pilot. The Kennedy 
 administration knew that a Black astronaut would be an 
 inspiring display of opportunity for African Americans across 
 the country.

    (8) On November 4, 1961, Edward received a letter inviting 
 him to join the astronaut training program. He followed the 
 advice of his mother and accepted the invitation to take the 
 first steps toward improving diversity and talent in the United 
 States space program by becoming the first African-American 
 astronaut candidate in the United States.

    (9) Edward went to the Aerospace Research Pilot School at 
 Edwards Air Force Base in California to begin training.

    (10) This was a time of uncertainty where the color of a 
 person's skin mattered more than his or her skill.

    (11) The astronaut candidacy of Edward became cover news on 
 Black magazines such as Jet, Ebony, and Sepia.

    (12) At Edwards Air Force Base, however, Edward experienced 
 prejudice and scorn, as he recounted in his autobiography 
 ``Soaring on the Wings of a Dream: The Untold Story of 
 America's First Black Astronaut Candidate''.

    (13) Edward completed the experimental test pilot course 
 and entered aerospace research pilot training in preparation 
 for astronaut duties. He successfully completed the course and 
 continued to perform duties as a fully qualified aerospace 
 research pilot.

    (14) On October 18, 1963, the National Aeronautics and 
 Space Administration (referred to in this section as ``NASA'') 
 announced 14 astronauts for Group 3, but Edward did not make 
 the list.

    (15) While in training, Edward faced obstacles due to his 
 race, which derailed his chance to be the first African 
 American in space. His fight for equality was one of many 
 trailblazing battles happening during the Civil Rights Era.

    (16) The assassination of President Kennedy, the main 
 sponsor in the White House of Edward and the space journey, led 
 to his voluntary separation from the Air Force.

    (17) In 1966, Edward resigned from the Air Force as a 
 captain and moved to Denver, Colorado.

    (18) After the Kennedy assassination, pressure on NASA to 
 fly a Black astronaut waned, and the first African American 
 would not fly in space until Guion Bluford flew with the crew 
 of NASA's eighth space flight on the Space Shuttle orbiter 
 Challenger in 1983.

    (19) After successful careers in the Air Force, and as an 
 IBM systems engineer, restauranteur, aviation consultant, real 
 estate, and construction entrepreneur, Edward dedicated the 
 last 43 years solely to his artistic endeavors.

    (20) In 1974, George Brown, the first African American 
 lieutenant governor of Colorado and a member of the Tuskegee 
 Airmen in World War II, chose Edward to create a bronze bust of 
 him to display in the Colorado State Capitol.

    (21) Being a neophyte to bronze sculpting, and at the age 
 of 42, Edward enrolled at the University of Denver in the 
 Masters of Fine Arts program. While at the University of 
 Denver, he became proficient in metal casting and managed the 
 foundry at the school while also teaching other students. He 
 received his Master of Fine Arts in 1977.

    (22) In 1975, while at the University of Denver, Edward 
 received a commission from the Colorado Centennial Commission 
 to create a series of bronzes depicting the contribution of 
 Blacks to the American Frontier West. The series exhibited for 
 several years throughout the United States, gaining widespread 
 acceptance and critical acclaim.

    (23) In 1979, the National Park Service encouraged Edward 
 to create a bronze series portraying the history and historical 
 roots of jazz. The series was created and entitled ``Jazz: An 
 American Art Form'', which consisted of over 70 bronzes 
 depicting the evolution of jazz from its African origins to the 
 fusion of contemporary music.

    (24) Since his art career began in 1976, Edward has become 
 one of most prolific and insightful sculptors in the United 
 States.

    (25) Edward is the recipient of numerable living legends 
 awards from around the country for his achievements in space 
 activities and contributions in art and Black history.

    (26) On August 5, 2020, in recognition of his 
 accomplishments as a scientist, test pilot, and sculptor, the 
 Space Force inducted him as an honorary member. A permanent 
 display is installed at the Pentagon in honor of these 
 achievements.

    (27) In a ceremony at the Pentagon, General Jay Raymond, 
 Chief of Space Operations of the Space Force, presented Edward 
 with the Commander's Public Service Award and inducted him as 
 an honorary member of the Space Force, for his contributions to 
 the United States, space, and history during times of overt 
 racism in the field of science. Astronaut Victor Glover honored 
 Edward by carrying this award with him to the International 
 Space Station during his Crew-1 mission. Despite all that he 
 had to overcome, Edward was an example of excellence, embarking 
 on a nationwide speaking tour encouraging young people to study 
 science, engineering, and math.

    (28) In 2021, the Minor Planet Center, an organization 
 affiliated with the International Astronomical Union, named an 
 asteroid after Edward. NASA has honored him by sending his 
 sculpture ``Pioneer Woman'' to space on Exploration Flight 
 Test-1 in 2014.

    (29) On November 3, 2022, Denver International Airport 
 opened an exhibit titled ``Soaring on the Wings of a Dream,'' 
 the title of Edward's book. The exhibit is on the life of 
 Edward, beginning with childhood and ending with adulthood. It 
 will be on display for 5 months.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, 
of a single gold medal of appropriate design to Edward J. Dwight, the 
first African-American astronaut candidate in the United States, in 
recognition of--

    (1) his historic service to the United States;

    (2) the example of excellence during times of struggle and 
 overt racism; and

    (3) his contributions in art and Black history.

    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
described in subsection

    (a) , the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to 
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary. The design shall bear an image of, and an inscription of the 
name of, Edward J. Dwight, Jr.
            (c) Disposition of Medal.--Following the presentation described in 
subsection

    (a) , the gold medal shall be given to Edward J. Dwight, Jr., 
or, if unavailable, to Curtis Christopher Dwight.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck under 

section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--Medals struck under this Act are national 
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.

    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under 

section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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