Richard Harrison Truly was an American fighter pilot, engineer and astronaut who served as a vice admiral in the United States Navy and as the eighth administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from 1989 to 1992. He was the first former astronaut to head the space agency.
Truly in October 1979
Image: Richard H. Truly GPN 2002 000090
Official Navy portrait of Richard H. Truly
The administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the highest-ranking official of NASA, the national space agency of the United States. The administrator is NASA's chief decision maker, responsible for providing clarity to the agency's vision and serving as a source of internal leadership within NASA. The office holder also has an important place within United States space policy, and is assisted by a deputy administrator.
Administrator of NASA
Image: Portrait of T. Keith Glennan GPN 2002 000079
Image: Hugh L Dryden
Image: James E. Webb, official NASA photo, 1966