Jon McBride was born in Charleston and attended WVU in the 1960s. After serving in Vietnam he received a degree in aeronautical engineering and became a test pilot. McBride was chosen for the first class of astonauts in the Space Shuttle program. He piloted the STS-41-G/Orbiter Challenger in a mission that launched October 13, 1984.

Jon McBride passed away on August 7, 2024. Stop by the main entrance of the downtown library to see an exhibit of his objects from the West Virginia & Regional History Center.