Can’t wait for ‘First Man’ to open? Check out Purdue’s Neil Armstrong photo gallery

A photo gallery includes more than two dozen photos highlighting Neil Armstrong as a student at Purdue, his time in NASA, his moon landing, returns to his alma mater and the legacy he leaves behind. This photo gallery is celebrating the Oct. 12 opening of the biopic “First Man.” (Purdue University photo) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Fans who can’t get enough of Neil Armstrong in “First Man” can get a further glimpse into his life story, including his time at Purdue University, in a new photo gallery.

More than two dozen photos highlight Armstrong as a student at Purdue, his time in NASA, his moon landing, returns to his alma mater and the legacy he leaves behind. This gallery is celebrating the Oct. 12 opening of the biopic “First Man.” 

Videos of the moon landing and of the dedication of the engineering building that now bears his name are also included in the gallery, as are photos of some of the personal items Armstrong donated to the Purdue Libraries’ Division of Archives and Special Collections.

Armstrong became the first person to step onto the moon’s surface on July 20, 1969. He earned a bachelor's degree from Purdue in aeronautical engineering in 1955 and received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Purdue in 1970.

Because of Armstrong’s moon landing and his legacy, Giant Leaps is the name of Purdue’s sesquicentennial campaign. The year will highlight Purdue’s remarkable history of giant leaps, while focusing on what giant leaps the university can take to address the world’s problems. #TakeGiantLeaps

Writer: Matthew Oates, 765-496-2571, oatesw@purdue.edu 

Media contact: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu