William C. McCool
A gifted naval aviator and engineer whose lifelong passion for flight culminated in commanding the left seat on Columbia's final, fateful mission.
1961–2003 (age 42)·American astronaut·Birthday: September 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Willie McCool's story is one of serene capability and quiet dedication, a thread that ran from his childhood building model airplanes to the cockpit of the Space Shuttle. A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he became a skilled test pilot and aeronautical engineer, collecting advanced degrees with the same calm focus he applied to flying. Selected by NASA, he was admired by his peers for his sharp intellect and unflappable demeanor. As pilot of STS-107, he was responsible for flying Columbia through its intricate orbital maneuvers, a task he performed with characteristic precision. The mission was a marathon of scientific discovery, and McCool, often described as the crew's buoyant spirit, reveled in the work. His legacy is forever tied to the tragedy of re-entry, but is defined more by a life of exemplary service and the pursuit of knowledge.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
William was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When William Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
William's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2003Died at 42
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Key Achievements
- Served as the pilot of the Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-107 mission, a 16-day microgravity research flight.
- Logged over 2,800 hours of flight time in 24 different aircraft as a naval aviator and test pilot.
- Earned multiple advanced degrees, including a Master of Science in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins and a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
- Was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the highest award for American astronauts.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished long-distance runner, finishing second in the 1979 Honolulu Marathon's junior division.
McCool's call sign in the Navy was 'Willie', a straightforward use of his nickname.
He was a passionate outdoorsman who enjoyed surfing, hiking, and mountain biking.
A father of three, he carried family mementos and a piece of wood from his brother's boat with him on his spaceflight.
“The sacrifices have been made, and we need to take advantage of that. We need to press on.”
