Desk Stand, Apollo 11 Commemorative, Associated Industries of Massachusetts

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts gave this desk stand to Dr. Charles S. Draper in recognition of his work in developing guidance systems for the Apollo 11 mission, which in July 1969 was the first to land men on the moon. Dr. Draper was the founder and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Instrumentation Laboratory and developed guidance systems for a wide variety of naval vessels, aircraft, rockets, missiles, and spacecraft. Dr. Draper donated a collection of his awards, including this desk stand, to the National Collection in 1974.