May 23 1997
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
The U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall installed a bronze statue of Apollo 13 astronaut John L. Swigert Jr., a native of Denver, to represent the state of Colorado. Each state chooses two statues for the hall to honor its most prominent citizens. Swigert was, perhaps, most famous for uttering the words, "Houston, we've had a problem." Colorado had elected Swigert to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, but he had died of cancer before his swearing-in. Swigert's statue took its place alongside that of fellow Coloradoan Florence Rena Sabin, who led the crusade for women's admission to medical schools. Astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, whom Swigert replaced only three days before the Apollo 13 launch, attended the statue dedication, along with NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and other dignitaries.
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