His career before and after NASA included military service in the United States Marine Corps, serving as Undersecretary of State from 1949 to 1952, serving as the first Director of the U.S. Bureau of the Budget, serving as head of the Spacelab program at NASA, and serving as the head of McDonnell Douglas.
Webb is the namesake of the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest space telescope ever made, which was launched on December 25, 2021.
James Edwin Webb was born on October 7, 1906, in Tally Ho, North Carolina, to John Frederick Webb and Lillie Mallard Webb. His father was a partner in a local general store that eventually failed, and the family lost everything. Webb attended public school in North Carolina until the age of 16, when he left to work as a clerk for a law firm in Cleveland, Ohio, with the help of an uncle who lived there. He also took night classes at Cleveland College, part of Western Reserve University. After two years, he returned home to North Carolina and enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, supported in part by a loan from his uncle. He continued to work while he attended college, including a period as an orderly at the local hospital and a summer as an insurance salesman. He studied law and business, and upon graduation in 1928 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, received a regular commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve through the Navy ROTC program. Webb attended the Marine Officers Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, and upon successful completion was promoted to first lieutenant. He completed his active-duty service in 1930, and returned to Wilson to work for his father, then a bookkeeper for a cotton broker.
For about a decade, Webb worked in a variety of jobs in North Carolina, including as an insurance agent, cotton buyer, and tax accountant. He became known for his work ethic and his ability to solve complex problems. In 1938, he married Patsy Aiken Douglas, a school teacher. They had two sons, James Edwin Jr. and Samuel Clifton, as well as a daughter Sarah Gorham.
In late 1940, following the United States' entry into World War II, Webb was reactivated to active duty in the Marine Corps Reserve. He volunteered for parachute duty, and after six months of training was assigned to the First Marine Parachute Battalion, which was the first USMC parachute unit to enter combat during the war. His battalion made four combat jumps before the end of the war, and he participated in action at Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu. Webb later served as aide-de-camp to General Roy Geiger when Geiger was the commanding officer of the US Tenth Army in Okinawa. As the war drew to a close, Webb was promoted to lieutenant colonel and transferred to Marine Corps Headquarters. He was subsequently released from active duty in early 1946, and returned to civilian life.
After the war, Webb joined the Sperry Rand Corporation, a manufacturer of aircraft gyroscopes and electronic navigational equipment, as the Washington, DC, office manager. He was soon promoted to vice president of the corporation's legal and public relations office. While working at Sperry, Webb helped negotiate a contract with the United States Air Force for a new autopilot system.
Webb was appointed as Administrator of NASA by President John F. Kennedy on February 14, 1961, upon the recommendation of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Webb had not previously met Kennedy or Johnson and was reportedly surprised by his selection. Kennedy's choice was based on Webb's experience as an administrator, and on his belief that NASA needed someone who could work effectively with the White House, the Congress, and the public.
Webb was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 24, 1961, and sworn in on February 28. He inherited a NASA that was still in its infancy, and that was facing a number of challenges, including the Soviet Union's space program, which had successfully launched the first man into space in 1961.
Webb quickly made a number of changes to NASA, including increasing the agency's budget and reorganizing its structure. He also created the Apollo program, which would eventually land the first men on the moon.
The Apollo program was a massive undertaking, and it required the cooperation of thousands of people from all over the world. Webb was able to successfully manage the program, and on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed the first two men on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
The Apollo program was a major success for the United States, and it helped to restore American prestige after the Soviet Union's early lead in the space race. Webb played a key role in the program's success, and he is considered one of the most successful NASA administrators of all time.
After leaving NASA in 1968, Webb served as the head of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, an aerospace company. He also served on a number of boards of directors, including those of the Ford Motor Company, the General Electric Company, and the Time Inc. magazine company.
Webb died of a heart attack in Washington, D.C., on March 27, 1992, at the age of 85.
Webb is considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of the United States space program. He is credited with transforming NASA from a small, ad-hoc organization into a world-class scientific and engineering agency. He is also credited with being the driving force behind the Apollo program, which landed the first men on the moon.
Webb's legacy continues to inspire people today, and he is considered to be a role model for future leaders in the space industry. The James Webb Space Telescope, the world's largest space telescope, is named in his honor.
