Cousin of astronaut Greg Jarvis reflects on shared UB connection

It was four years ago that Jackson Gray, a senior in mechanical engineering, made the connection.

“I knew that Jarvis was a family name, but I originally didn’t realize that Jarvis Hall was the Gregory Jarvis I was related to,” says Gray, who confirmed with his mother that the building’s namesake was in fact his cousin.

Jarvis, a UB alum who received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1967, was an astronaut on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. Sadly, the shuttle exploded shortly into its journey and seven crew members — Jarvis included — lost their lives.

“His legacy as an engineer and astronaut is something our family is proud of. It’s truly inspiring to see his impact continue, especially at UB,” says Gray’s mother, Stephanie Susi, who was 19 at the time of her cousin’s death. 

Following the shuttle disaster, members of the UB community rallied support to commemorate Jarvis by naming a campus building after him, Gregory B. Jarvis Hall. A scholarship fund was also established in Jarvis’ memory to support undergraduate students pursuing engineering degrees at UB. 

Before embarking on the Challenger mission, Jarvis asked UB for a flag he could take into space with the intention of returning it to his alma mater following the mission. The flag was later recovered from the wreckage and given to UB by his widow, Marcia, at the building dedication ceremony.

On a recent visit to see the flag, which is now preserved in the University Archives, Gray reflected on the impact of the Challenger mission and legacy of Jarvis.

“I hope people would remember him as a hero, as someone who really put their life on the line, but also he was just an ordinary person that did an extraordinary thing,” he says. “If people never put themselves out there to go and explore, then we wouldn't have made any progress.”