NAME:  Richard A. Searfoss (Major, USAF)
       NASA Astronaut
 
BIRTHPLACE AND DATE:  Born June 5, 1956, in Mount Clemons, Michigan,
but considers Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to be his hometown.  His
father, Lt. Col. Stanley G. Searfoss (ret.), resides in Lakeland,
Florida.  His mother, Mrs. Mary K. Searfoss, is deceased.
 
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:  Brown hair; blue eyes; 5 feet 11 inches; 160
pounds.
 
EDUCATION:  Graduated from Portsmouth Senior High School, Portsmouth,
New Hampshire in 1974; received a bachelor of science degree in
Aeronautical Engineering from the USAF Academy in 1978, and a master
of science degree in Aeronautics from the California Institute of
Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship in 1979.
 
MARITAL STATUS:  Married to the former Julie McGuire of Glendale,
California.  Her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Stanton McGuire, reside in
Glendale.
 
CHILDREN  Megan, February 18, 1983; Elizabeth, October 19, 1985.
 
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:  He enjoys running, soccer, radio-controlled
model aircraft, Scouting, backpacking, and classical music.
 
ORGANIZATIONS:  National Eagle Scout Association, Air Force
Association, Academy of Model Aeronautics.
 
SPECIAL HONORS:  Awarded the Harmon, Fairchild, Price and Tober Awards
(top overall, academic, engineering and aeronautical engineering
graduate), USAF Academy Class of 1978.  Distinguished graduate USAF
Fighter Weapons School.  Named the Tactical Air and Command F-111
Instructor Pilot of the Year, 1985.  Recipient of the Air Force
Commendation Medal.
 
EXPERIENCE:  Searfoss graduated in 1980 from Undergraduate Pilot
Training at Williams AFB, Arizona.  From 1981-1984, he flew the F-11F
operationally at RAF Lakenheath, England, followed by a tour at
Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, where he was an F-11A instructor pilot and
weapons officer until 1987.  In 1988 he attended the U.S. Naval Test
Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, as a USAF Exchange Officer.
He was a flight instructor at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at
Edwards AFB, California, when selected for the astronaut program.
 
He has logged over 2,300 hours flying time in 53 different types of
aircraft.
 
Selected by NASA in January 1990, Searfoss became an astronaut in July
1991, and is qualified for assignment as a pilot on future Space
Shuttle flight crews.  He is currently assigned technical duties in
the Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch, and is part of a team
responsible for crew ingress/strap-in prior to launch and crew egress
after landing.
 
AUGUST 1991