Before You Go: He Skipped the Negro Leagues for NASA

Who would give up a dream of playing professional baseball alongside Negro League greats Dizzie Dean, Hank Thompson, Elston Howard, Willard Brown, Larry Doby and so many others? Semi-pro outfielder Nate Crump of St. Louis, Missouri asked a friend what life on the road really meant for Black baseball players and chose a life in science instead. He was so talented that a career at McDonnell Douglass (formerly McDonnell Aircraft) led to even greater heights and recognition from NASA. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh share a delightful hour with chemist, athlete (he still played a round of golf at age 99) and military veteran Nate Crump, also joined by his talented and proud son Dr. Nathaniel Crump.