Dale D . Myers Dale Dehaven Myers ( born January 8 , 1922 ) was the Deputy Administrator of NASA between October 6 , 1986 and May 13 , 1989 . He was born in Kansas City , Missouri , and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1943 . Biography . Myers was born in Kansas City , Missouri , on January 8 , 1922 , to a physician . His boyhood hero was Charles Lindbergh , an aviator who became famous after crossing the Atlantic by aircraft . Aged 5 , Myers met Lindbergh and shook his hand ; in a 2008 interview , Myers recalled " that did it . That did it . " Between 1939 and 1940 Myers attended Kansas City Junior College , then in 1943 he graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering . In the mid - 1940s he was involved in the development of various aircraft for Project Aerodynamicist , including the North American F - 82 Twin Mustang . From 1946 until 1957 he began working in missile development , until he was selected as vice - president and weapons systems manager . By this time he had lost his left eye in an automobile accident . In 1963 Myers migrated to Rockwell International , and the following year he began contract work for NASA ' s space program . From 1964 he was the program manager of the Apollo program ' s Command / Service Module Program , replacing John W . Paup . After a fire destroyed Apollo 1 and killed three astronauts in January 1967 , much of the program ' s management was purged ; Myers , however , was retained . He migrated to the Space Shuttle program in 1969 , soon after Apollo 11 ' s historic moon landing . Myers later described his work with Apollo as a highlight of his career . In 1970 Myers was promoted to Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight at NASA , replacing George Mueller . In this position he stayed at mission control when Apollo 13 experienced a crippling explosion ; later he promoted the selection of Harrison Schmitt as geologist for Apollo 17 . He served until 1974 . During this time he earned three NASA Distinguished Service Medal s , one in 1971 for his work on the Apollo program and two in 1974 ( one for his work on Skylab and the Shuttle , the other for his work towards manned spaceflight ) . In 1970 he also received an honorary doctorate from Whitworth College . Myers is a former president of the National Academy of Engineering . Afterwards he returned to Rockwell , serving as its vice president ; during this period he also served as president of North American Aircraft Group , during which time the company developed the Rockwell B - 1 Lancer . Myers was Under Secretary at the Department of Energy ( 1977 – 1979 ) . For the five years , from 1979 to 1984 , Myers served as president and COO of Jacobs Engineering Group ; he then became a private consultant , operating his own company known as Dale D . Myers & Associates Aerospace and Energy . On October 6 , 1986 , eleven months after the " Challenger " disaster , Myers was selected as Deputy Administrator of NASA . Myers was initially unwilling to accept the position , but after a telephone call from the " persuasive " president Ronald Reagan , Myers accepted the position . Replacing William Robert Graham , he was tasked with helping the agency recoup and continue the Space Shuttle program ; in a Senate hearing , Myers argued that the agency had lost its " hands - on , loving care " and that the checks and balances system had " gone soft " . He resigned effective May 13 , 1989 , having served as acting administrator in place of James C . Fletcher for almost a month . NASA historian Roger Launius credits Myers with bringing a sense of optimism to the agency following the disaster . After leaving NASA Myers returned to private consulting , later becoming involved in the failed Kistler Aerospace program . Myers is married and lives in La Costa , California . He has two grown daughters . Myers has continued to speak publicly about the space program , including giving testimonial before Congress in 2003 .