Don Fuqua was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from Florida and served from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1987.
Mr. Fuqua served 12 terms as a U.S. Congressman, representing Florida’s Second Congressional District. He was elected Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee in 1979 after serving on the committee since his election in 1963. He gained firsthand knowledge of the U.S. Space program as a member of the subcommittee that oversaw the program in its formative years and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications from 1971 to 1981. He served as a member of the Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program, commonly known as the Augustine Council, which provided advice to the NASA administrator on NASA’s programs and policies.
As chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, Mr. Fuqua personally inspected and reviewed research projects throughout the nation. He delved into fields as far-ranging as the development of competitive aircraft of the future, the application of space technology to the needs of the elderly and disabled, the design of fuel efficient autos, the development of liquefied coal, and the protection of the environment from hazards as common as water weeds and as advanced as nuclear waste. The committee has direct authorization and oversight responsibility for most of the nation’s government-funded civilian research, development, and demonstration programs.
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