Gen. John R. “Jack” Dailey was awarded the 2018 National Air and Space Museum Trophy for Lifetime Achievement.
Dailey receives the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Trophy for his distinguished career of over 60 years of service to the United States in all aspects of aviation and space. He began his career as a Marine aviator in 1956, flew 450 combat missions during two tours in Vietnam, held several leadership positions before becoming Brigadier General in 1982, received his fourth star in and became assistant commandant of the Marine Corps in 1990. After retiring from the Marines, he served as deputy administrator of NASA and led the restructuring of the agency. He served on the President’s Management Council and was delegate to the Research and Technology Organization in support of NATO, among several other positions. After seven years at NASA, Dailey became the director of the National Air and Space Museum where he led the museum through a period of great expansion in both building space and programming. In 2003, the museum opened the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center adding a new dimension to the display and conservation of the museum’s collection. In 2012, space shuttle Discovery was welcomed to the facility. Under his tenure, the museum greatly expanded its educational on-site and online programming, especially in the area of STEM subjects.