Reflections on Leadership and Its Politics: Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, 2009–17

• Author: W. Henry Lambright
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12757
• Published date: 01 July 2017
• Date: 01 July 2017

616 Public Administration Review • July | August 2017

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 77, Iss. 4, pp. 616–620. © 2017 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.12757.

W. Henry Lambright is professor of

public administration and international

affairs and of political science at the

Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He

is author of numerous books and articles.

His most recent book is

Why Mars

:

NASA

and the Politics of Space Exploration

(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014).

He is a fellow of the National Academy of

Public Administration and the American

Association for the Advancement of

Science. He is associate editor of

Public

Administration Review

for Administrative

Profiles.

E-mail: whlambri@maxwell.syr.edu

Administrative

Prof‌i le

C harles Bolden served as National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA)

administrator from 2009 to 2017. Bolden

is an African American, the first ever to serve as

NASA administrator. Prior to his service as NASA

administrator, Bolden was an astronaut, had a

distinguished military career, including combat

experience, and retired at major general rank. He

was one of the few appointees of President Barack

Obama who served two terms. That long service

did not appear likely given the situation he faced in

2009–11.

The following material is based on an interview

of Charles Bolden. It also relies on research by the

author into Bolden ’ s career and NASA generally. To

the extent possible, the words and ideas are those

of Bolden. The author has added background and

context, particularly in regard to the problems Bolden

had with the political side of his job during his first

two years and how those problems were alleviated.

Lambright: Mr. Bolden, you were born in 1946 in

Columbia, South Carolina, at a time of segregation.

You rose to become an astronaut and, eventually, NASA

administrator. Could you list some of the key mentors

who influenced your youth and adulthood up to the time

you joined NASA ’ s astronaut corps?

“It starts with my father and mother,” Bolden recalled.

“They said I could do anything I wanted to if I tried.

Both were teachers, and my dad was also a football

coach at my high school, a black high school. He

was tough and fair. He said, ‘It ’ s not the size of the

dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.’

Another mentor was my first company officer at

the Naval Academy, which I attended. He showed

great leadership skills and inspired me to go into

the Marines after Annapolis. I had mentors who

helped me become a pilot, eventually a test pilot. But

perhaps the most important mentor after my father

and mother was Ron McNair. McNair was one of the

first black astronauts. He urged me to apply [for the

NASA Astronaut Program]. I said, ‘No, I would never

be accepted.’ He said, ‘That ’ s the dumbest thing I ever

heard! How do you know if you don ’ t apply?’ I did

apply and was accepted in the second group of space

shuttle astronauts.”

Bolden continued, “In 1986, 10 days after I landed

from my first space shuttle mission, the space shuttle

Challenger was lost shortly after launch, killing all

aboard. Ron was on that flight. I was devastated and

I asked, do I want to fly again? Almost instantly,

I decided: yes, I could not walk away. It would let

Ron down. I was given the assignment to rebuild the

safety organization at Johnson Space Center after the

Challenger accident. I did so, and then went back to

flying the shuttle.”

Lambright: That post- Challenger safety organization

role in 1986 was your first administrative assignment

at NASA. The agency then sent you to Washington

from April 1992 to June 1993 as assistant deputy

administrator in headquarters. You are on record as

saying you disliked that period intensely. Why?

“NASA administrator Dan Goldin brought me

to Washington to help him save the International

Space Station (ISS), which was in danger of being

killed by Congress,” Bolden said. “I was a black

astronaut, and he needed me to win support from

the Congressional Black Caucus. Congress had

lots of members against or disinterested in the

station. Some black lawmakers were on the space

committees. Some were powerful in their own right,

such as Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. My

year at NASA HQ in Washington and the Space

Station fight convinced me not to stay there. It was

not the politicians who bothered me; it was some

of the staffers with whom I had to deal. Everybody

seemed to be out for themselves.”

Lambright: Did you learn anything else in that first

Washington experience that provided you lessons in

leadership?

W. Henry Lambright, Editor

W. Henry Lambright

Syracuse University

Reflections on Leadership and Its Politics:

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, 2009–17