Ed Campion

Headquarters, Washington, DC October 22, 1996

(Phone: 202/358-1780)

Lisa Malone
Kennedy Space Center, FL
(Phone: 407/867-2468)

RELEASE: 96-215

KSC DIRECTOR JAY HONEYCUTT TO RETIRE

Jay F. Honeycutt, Director of NASA's Kennedy Space

Center (KSC), FL, has announced his plans to retire from NASA
in early 1997. NASA is proceeding with the search for a
successor.

Honeycutt's career has spanned almost the entire history

of the U.S. human space flight program, beginning at the
Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, in 1960. He has been the
Director of KSC since January 1995.

"When I first came to this position in 1995, I committed

to staying on for two years and then reassessing my plans,"
Honeycutt said. "Those two years are up and it's time to
think about what I want to do next. I have no specific time
frame in mind but will leave when the time is right and a
successor is on hand."

"Jay Honeycutt has played an important role in NASA

achievements for three decades," NASA Administrator Daniel S.
Goldin said. "He has pursued excellence in every project
with which he has been associated. This was recognized by
the White House, which honored KSC with quality awards during
the past two years. He will be greatly missed."

Honeycutt is the sixth KSC Center Director. In

announcing his plans to leave NASA, Honeycutt said, "This was
a very difficult decision. I am very proud to have been a
part of the tremendous achievements of the Agency and the
contribution it has made to a better quality of life for all
Americans."
 Honeycutt began his government career as an engineer at
Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville before joining NASA in 1966 as
an engineer in flight operations at the Johnson Space Center
in Houston. During the Apollo program he headed the group
that trained astronaut crews for the lunar landings.
Following the Apollo program he continued to progress in
management responsibility, moving to NASA Headquarters in
1981 as technical assistant to the Associate Administrator
for Space Flight. Honeycutt served as deputy manager of the
National Space Transportation System Program Office at
Headquarters from 1987 to 1989.

In March 1989, Honeycutt moved to KSC as director of

Shuttle Management and Operations, the post he held when
appointed Center Director in 1995.

His many awards include two Exceptional Service Medals,

the Special Achievement Award, NASA's Outstanding Leadership
Medal, the NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Award and the
Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award. Honeycutt and
his wife Peggy live in Cocoa Beach and have four children.

-end-