Frank Borman led the first team of American astronauts to circle the Moon, extending man’s horizons into space. He is internationally known as Commander of the 1968 Apollo 8 Mission. A romance with airplanes that began when he was 15 years old took Frank Borman to the Air Force and then to NASA.

A career Air Force Officer from 1950, his assignments included service as a fighter pilot, an operational pilot and instructor, an experimental test pilot and an assistant professor of Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics at West Point. When selected by NASA, Frank Borman was instructor at the Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California. Frank Borman retired form the Air Force in 1970, is well remembered as a part of this nation’s history, a pioneer in the exploration of space and veteran of both the Gemini 7, 1965 Space Orbital Rendezvous with Gemini 6 and the first manned lunar orbital mission, Apollo 8, in 1968.

In 1967 he served as a member of the Apollo 204 Fire Investigation Board, investigating the causes of fire which killed three astronauts aboard an Apollo spacecraft, reminiscent of the Challenger tragedy. Later he became the Apollo Program Resident Manager, heading the team that re-engineered the Apollo spacecraft. He also served as Field Director of NASA’s Space Station Task Force.

But Borman’s retirement form the Air Force in 1970 did not end his aviation career. He had begun an association with Eastern Airlines as special advisor in early 1969 and in December, 1970 was named Sr. Vice President-Operations Group.

He was promoted to Executive Vice President-General Operations Manager and was elected to Eastern’s Board of Directors in July, 1974. In May, 1975 he was elected President and Chief Operating Officer. He was then named Chief Executive Officer in December, 1975 and became Chairman of the Board in December, 1976.

During his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Eastern, the airline industry went through the enormous change caused by deregulation. During this period Eastern originated several unique programs including profit-sharing and wages tied to company profitability. These programs produced the four most profitable years in the company’s history. A recalcitrant union forced their abandonment in 1983 and the resulting loses led to the sale of the airline to Texas Air Corporation. In June, 1986 Colonel Borman retired from Eastern Airlines. He served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Texas Air Corporation from 1986 to 1991.

In the spring of 1988 Borman was named President of Patlex Corporation in Chatsworth, California, a company involved with laser patents. He also served as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Patlex from September 1995 until August 1996, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Patlex from 1988 to December 1992, and as Chairman of AutoFinance Group, Inc. (AFG) from December 1992 to September 1995, during which period Patlex was a subsidiary of AFG.

Colonel Borman was privileged to serve as Special Presidential Ambassador on trips throughout the Far East and Europe, including a worldwide tour to seek support for the release of American prisoners of war held by North Vietnam.

Colonel Borman was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President Richard M. Nixon. He received the Harmon International Aviation Trophy, the Robert J. Collier Trophy, the Tony Jannus Award and the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal — in addition to many honorary degrees, special honors and service decorations. In September of 1990, Colonel Borman along with fellow Apollo astronauts Lovell and Anders, was inducted into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame. And in October of 1990, he received the Airport Operators Council International Downes Award. In March, 1993 he was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Frank Borman was born in Gary, Indiana, and was raised in Tucson Arizona. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, in 1950 and a Master of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1957. He completed the Harvard Business School’s Advance Management Program in 1970.

He has written an autobiography entitled COUNTDOWN: An Autobiography of Frank Borman with Robert J. Sterling, released in October of 1988.

Frank Borman is married to the former Susan Bugbee of Tucson, Arizona. They have two sons, Frederick and Edwin, and four grandchildren. They reside in Las Cruces, New Mexico.