Johnson Remembers Former Center Director George W.S. Abbey

The line of vehicles waiting to enter the Johnson Space Center front gate on June 7, 2024, was one of many testaments to the impact of George W.S. Abbey, the center’s beloved former director. Agency leaders, Johnson employees, community members, and Abbey’s friends and family joined to honor his life and celebrate his indelible impact on human spaceflight.

Johnson Center Director Vanessa Wyche led a special program in Johnson’s Teague Auditorium that included tributes from former Kennedy Space Center director Jay Honeycutt and former NASA astronaut and Johnson deputy director Jim Wetherbee. 

“Mr. Abbey was a legendary figure in human spaceflight,” Wyche said. “He was a true visionary and a transformational leader whose legacy continues to influence many aspects of our work, most notably in astronaut selection and flight operations. He was also a friend and mentor to many here at Johnson and across the agency.”

Honeycutt remembered Abbey as “a man of amazing intellect, a man with the memory of an encyclopedia, a get-it-done attitude second to none, and a man unafraid to make difficult decisions.” Wetherbee reflected on the former director’s technical brilliance and deep understanding of people, declaring that among great leaders, Abbey was an exemplar.

NASA astronaut Mike Barratt also paid tribute to Abbey in a prerecorded downlink from the International Space Station. “He was a titan within NASA and a true pioneer who made the work we do today possible, including building this magnificent multinational station and enabling future human exploration to the Moon and beyond,” he said. “Thank you for all you’ve done to benefit humanity. Your DNA runs deep in the human spaceflight community.”

Following the program in the Teague, guests were escorted to Johnson’s Astronaut Memorial Grove for a tree dedication ceremony with a NASA T-38 flyover. Abbey established the tree grove in 1996 during his five-year tenure as center director. Wyche and NASA astronaut Mike Fincke shared additional remembrances of Abbey before family members laid flowers by a plaque bearing his name.

“George Abbey’s career at NASA was marked by his unique ability to identify and nurture talent,” Fincke said. “As a member of the astronaut class of 1996, I can personally attest to his profound impact on my life and the lives of my fellow astronauts. Our class was one of the largest and most diverse in NASA’s history. George saw potential in each and every one of us.”

View the George W.S. Abbey tribute here and the tree dedication ceremony here. More photos from the program are included below.