Hi guys, I just found this message in my spam folder. Perhaps the Marshall Star might have something about this plaque? Or possibly the plaque was carved by an MSFC employee?? I’m not great at finding things on archives.nasa.gov, but I wasn’t able to find anything that might help me.

 

From: Jolene De Hoog Harris <thedutchflower@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 9:52 AM
To: Ostovar, Michele E. (HQ-NA050)[NCS] <michele.e.ostovar@nasa.gov>, Odom, Brian C. (MSFC-NA050) <brian.c.odom@nasa.gov>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Wood Relief Panel gifted to Dr. Thomas Paine

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Dear Marshall Space Flight Center History Office,

I am researching a carved wood relief panel that was gifted to Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator (1969–1970), by MSFC on September 15, 1970, and would greatly appreciate any archival information or historical context you may be able to provide.

The panel includes detailed carvings of:

·       A Saturn V rocket,

·       The Apollo Lunar Module and astronauts on the Moon,

·       The Command Module in orbit,

·       MSFC infrastructure.

A dedication plaque on the panel reads:

To Dr. Thomas O. Paine, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, March 5, 1969 – September 15, 1970, under whose leadership man first walked on the Moon. Marshall Space Flight Center, September 15, 1970.

Another brass plate credits the work to:

Albert H. Pucc – MSFC

I am especially interested in learning:

1.     Whether Albert H. Pucc was a known woodcarver, engineer, or staff artist affiliated with MSFC

2.     If this gift was formally presented at an event or documented in Marshall press or internal records

3.     Any guidance you could provide on MSFC's tradition of presentation gifts during that era

Thank you for preserving MSFC’s legacy. I would be happy to share photographs and further details.

Jolene Harris

545 Morro Hills Rd

Fallbrook, Ca 92028

760-845-9791