You May Not Have Any Extra Talent,

Al Is On The Surface. And It's Been A Long Way, But We're Here.

We Also Knew It Would Be Difficult, Because Of The Financial Condition Of The Family, For Me To Go To College.

Then There Was The Challenge To Keep Doing Better And Better, To Fly The Best Test Flight That Anybody Had Ever Flown. That Led To My Being Recognized As One Of The More Experienced Test Pilots, And That Led To The Astronaut Business.

We Had Some Adverse Conditions In The '60s, In The '70s And The '80s. The Agency Has Risen Above That In The Past And Will Rise Above That Again.

I'd Like To Say I Was Smart Enough To Finish Six Grades In Five Years, But I Think Perhaps The Teacher Was Just Glad To Get Rid Of Me.