NASA duo to address Ag Alumni Fish Fry audience
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Astronaut Jim Lovell and NASA flight director Gene Kranz were thousands of miles apart when they famously guided Apollo 13 back from the edge of disaster in 1970.But on Feb. 3 the aviation pioneers will share the stage as guest speakers at Purdue University's Agricultural Alumni Fish Fry. The annual event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Blue Ribbon Pavilion in Indianapolis will start at 11:30 a.m.
Lovell was flight commander of Apollo 13, the third manned mission to the moon. An explosion aboard the service module on April 13, 1970, caused him to utter the famous words, "Houston, we have a problem."
Back on the ground at NASA's mission control in Houston, Kranz led the team that safely directed Lovell, Fred Haise Jr. and John Swigert Jr. back to Earth on April 17. The episode was made into a movie in 1995 starring Tom Hanks as Lovell and Ed Harris as Kranz.
"The resolve and ingenuity that Lovell and Kranz employed to successfully complete the Apollo 13 mission made them real American heroes," said Donya Lester, executive secretary of Purdue's Ag Alumni Association. "We are honored to have them as our speakers.
"With nearly two dozen alumni astronauts, Purdue has played a huge role in the exploration of space. I think our guests attending the Fish Fry are in for a real treat."
The Ag Alumni Fish Fry is a fish fry in name only. Roasted pork loin, donated by the Indiana Packers Corp., will be served as the only meat item. An alternate menu is available for people with dietary restrictions, and those requests should be made when ordering tickets.
Tickets are $20, and seating will be at tables of 10. Seating assignments will be based on the date the order is received. Free on-site child care is available, with reservations required in advance. Special parking permits may be purchased for nearby lots and for inside the swine barn. Without prepaid permits, parking is $3 per car on the grounds.
Tickets may be ordered by contacting the Ag Alumni office, Pfendler Hall of Agriculture, Room 107, 715 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2061, (765) 494-8593, or by e-mailing office manager Debby Bible at debby@purdue.edu. Order forms are available on the Web at https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agalumni/TicketOrderFlier07.pdf
Writer: Tom Campbell, (765) 494-8084
Source: Donya Lester, (765) 494-8593
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page
Note to Journalists: For media passes to cover the event, please contact Beth Forbes, Purdue Agricultural Communications, at (765) 494-2722, forbes@purdue.edu
Related Web sites:
Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association: https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agalumni/
Purdue Agriculture: https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/
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