Dr. Kurt H. Debus

1908 - October 10, 1983

B.A., M.A., and Ph.D (1939) from Technical University of Darmstadt

Recipient of Honorary Degree in 1970

Dr. Kurt H. Debus was the first director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center. He held the position from 1962 to 1974.  Dr. Debus supervised the development and construction of rocket launch facilities at Cape Canaveral beginning in 1952 and continuing through 1960.  Beginning in 1961, he directed the design, development and construction of NASA’s Apollo/Saturn facilities on Cape Canaveral and the adjacent John F. Kennedy Space Center.  Dr. Debus’ organization successfully launched 13 Saturn V’s: Apollo 4, Apollo 8, that carried the first men to lunar orbit; Apollo 9, the first manned test of the Lunar Module; Apollo 10, Apollo 11, which landed the first men on the Moon; Apollo 12, which circled the Moon and returned to Earth; Apollos 14, 15, 16 and 17 which continued lunar exploration; and the Skylab Orbital Workshop.  In October 1965, he became responsible for NASA unmanned launch operations at the Eastern and Western Test Ranges.