Jim Buchli, first North Dakotan in space, honored with Rough Rider Award
On-campus ceremony recognizes Buchli, former Marine aviator and space shuttle astronaut, for service to state, nation and UND
On July 30, a ceremony in UND’s Robin Hall bestowed the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, North Dakota’s highest civilian honor, upon James Buchli, a former NASA astronaut and U.S. Marine aviator.
Buchli, a native of New Rockford, N.D., attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam. As an astronaut, Buchli completed four space shuttle missions, becoming the first North Dakotan to fly in space.
Over the course of his careers as both a Marine aviator and NASA astronaut, Buchli received many commendations, including a Defense Meritorious Service Award and NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
Along with Buchli, the event was attended by elected state officials including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Secretary of State Michael Howe, as well as current and former staff of UND’s Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, including Dean Robert Kraus. Several of the guests gave talks reflecting on Buchli’s achievements and his commitment to both state and University.
Buchli has maintained close relations with both the state of North Dakota and UND. This was in no small part due to his friendship with former dean and namesake of the UND School of Aerospace Sciences, John D. Odegard.
In a video message, Odegard’s widow, Diane, recalled the evolution of Buchli and Odegard’s friendship.
“Jim was a trusted confidant of John’s; they really worked beautifully together,” she said. “He helped UND Aerospace, especially with the evolving Space Studies program.”
She described Buchli as a “great friend to UND Aerospace” and remarked that his relationship with her late husband was anchored by a mutual love of fishing.
“Fishing is a passion for Jim, and it was a passion for John. I think that was part of their bonding,” she said. “They came together at Oak Lake, and they fished, they talked about the school and space, and everything evolved. Some magical things happened on the fishing trips.”
Buchli would continue to attend annual fundraisers hosted by the School of Aerospace Sciences long after Odegard died, helping the school raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships for first-year aviation students.
Buchli’s longtime connection with UND was part of what launched his nomination for the Rough Rider Award. Bruce Smith, former dean of the School of Aerospace Sciences, spoke at the ceremony and recounted how Buchli’s nomination came to be.
The process, Smith said, started in January. That’s when Buchli contacted him asking for information about UND’s online graduate programs on behalf of his daughter, Jennifer, an ISS program chief scientist for NASA.
After connecting Buchli with Bob Kraus, Smith brought the conversation up to his wife, Ann.
“At that point, Ann knew about Jim but didn’t know about his background and accomplishments. So, I Googled his bio, and we looked at it together, and that’s when the lightbulb went on,” Smith said.
Inspired, Smith began drafting his letter of nomination for the Rough Rider Award that afternoon. Soon, he reached out to others to write letters of recommendation, including Kraus and Pablo DeLeon, chair of the UND Department of Space Studies. Karen Nyberg — UND graduate, astronaut and member of the UND Aerospace Foundation board of directors — also helped with the nomination package.
Burgum, who introduced Buchli, commended the astronaut for his lifetime achievements as a Marine, aviator and astronaut, and thanked him for the “generations of students” whom he inspired throughout his career. He then read a letter from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who seconded his sentiments.
“It’s impossible for a person to orbit the Earth 319 times, as Jim did during his four space shuttle missions, and not come down a changed person,” Burgum read. “Yet, part of the gift that Jim provides humanity, is what he did when he returned to Earth for good. That’s through his decades of commitment to this place where you have gathered today, the University of North Dakota.”
After Burgum’s introduction, Buchli offered thanks to his wife and family for their support before offering attendees with a final message of hope for the next generation of astronauts.
“For years I’ve talked to a lot of young people in universities, a lot of kids in classrooms, and I really think that our country is in good shape,” he said. “Many of these kids are a lot smarter than we ever were. I think that, if we push forward in our space programs and other programs, there are going to be big years to come for our country.”
The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of Buchli’s portrait, which will be displayed in the Capitol, along with those of the 48 previous Rough Rider Award honorees.
The full ceremony can be viewed on UND Aerospace’s YouTube page.
