Lt. Col. John H. Johnson Apollo 1 Memorial Foundation Scholarship

The Lt. Col. John H. Johnson Apollo 1 Memorial Foundation Scholarship is provided to commemorate astronauts Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grissom, Edward White II, and Roger Bruce Chaffee, the intrepid crew of Apollo 1. The scholarship is intended to assist Eastern Florida State College students who are pursuing a degree in Aerospace Technology or any other science that may be applied in support of the U.S. Space Program and human space exploration.
The Apollo 1 Memorial Foundation, a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1998 and certified as a 501 ©(3) corporation in 2000, was established by a group of dedicated supporters of the U.S. Space Program. From its beginning until his death in 2019, the foundation was led by Lt. Col. John H. Johnson, retired Deputy Commander at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Apollo I Memorial Foundation was established with a three-fold mission.

• To honor the memory of astronauts Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grissom, Edward White II, and Roger Bruce Chaffee, who died on January 27, 1967, as the result of a fire that occurred in the Apollo I command module during a simulated countdown for mission AS-204.

• To educate the public about the U.S. Manned Space Program through its preservation and educational efforts and by sharing the story of humanity’s historic ventures into space.

• To encourage future generations to continue boldly carrying the torch of space exploration which has been entrusted to them by those brave souls who first helped this nation chart a course to the stars.

It is hoped that Lt. Col. John H. Johnson’s Apollo 1 Memorial Foundation Scholarship will carry this mission forward in perpetuity.
Additional information about the lives and careers of astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee, the accident in which they died, NASA’s investigation and findings, and ongoing efforts to honor the three astronauts is available at the Apollo 1 Memorial Foundation, Inc. webpage.