Gallery: A Retrospective On Aviation Week Network's Laureate Award Winners (1950s-1960s)

For rolling out and flying its first production line version of the 707 jet transport.

For combining to bring the world speed record back to the U.S. with the F-101A and its 1,207 mph performance at Edwards AFB, California.

For his persistent, articulate and courageous exposition of a military space program.

Belated recognition for his superb job of designing the special purpose, high altitude U-2 reconnaissance plane that was able to photograph the Soviet Union for four years without interference. 

For his success in providing the U.S. space program with national priority and at last expressing the nation’s determination to compete against all comers in space technology.

For their successful orbital flights in McDonnell Mercury capsules, which confirmed the growing U.S. capability in manned space flight and laid the basic foundation for the Apollo moon mission.

For having the zest to abandon one fabulously successful career to launch another that developed the latest executive jet aircraft.

To fight a fierce shooting war against the spearhead of communism.

For piloting Gemini 6 to achieve the first sustained rendezvous in manned space flight.

For developing the casting process that allows a turbine blade to be made as a single crystal and marks a major advance in high-temperature jet metallurgy.

For fighting the bloody and bitter air war over Southeast Asia in which the rules and restrictions imposed by their Commander-in-Chief forced them to take more risks than necessary.

Whose skills and dogged efforts at major airports keep an obsolete and overloaded air traffic control system working in relative safety.

For a program that culminated with manned landings on the moon, the greatest technological feat in aerospace history.