This ceremonial wooden key to the Ravenna City (Ohio), a town near Akron, was presented, as engraved on the brass plaque mounted on it, "To Neil Armstrong Astronaut Supreme." Following Mr. Armstrong's successful return from the Moon as the commander of Apollo 11 and the first person to step another heavenly body, many places around the world sought to recognize him by making him an honorary citizen of their city, state, or country. Since Armstrong was born in Ohio, many in that state were understandably proud of his accomplishments and sought to solidify that attachment with material honors.
Prior to joining NASA, Armstrong served as a naval aviator during the Korean War, flying 78 combat missions. After graduating with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1955, Armstrong became a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA, the forerunner to NASA) and flew over 200 different models of aircraft, including the X-15. Armstrong was selected for NASA’s astronaut corps in 1962 as part of the second class selection, and first flew in space as commander of Gemini VIII in 1966.
Shortly after his historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969, Armstrong earned an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California, and when he left NASA in 1971, he taught at the University of Cincinnati for eight years. In 1986, he was appointed by President Reagan as the Vice-Chairman of the Rogers Commission investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In his later life, he served on several corporate boards and high-level advisory committees.
This ceremonial wooden key to the city of Ravenna City was loaned to the National Air and Space Museum by Carol Armstrong and the Armstrong family in 2014.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.