Rhea Seddon, M.D.
Seddon lands in aviation hall of fame
Rhea Seddon, M.D., assistant chief medical officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame in a Nov. 12 ceremony at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville.
A former NASA astronaut, Seddon flew three space shuttle missions between 1985 and 1993, including serving as payload commander for the 1993 life sciences research shuttle mission. She joined Vanderbilt in 1996. Seddon was born and raised in Mufreesboro, Tenn.
“It is an incredible honor to follow in the footsteps of all the Tennesseans who have contributed so much to the field of aviation,” Seddon said. “Being given the opportunity to fly in space brings with it the responsibility to encourage others to look to the skies for ways to make their contribution to the world. I know that is what the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame is all about and I am delighted to be inducted.”
The Tennessee Museum of Aviation opened in 2001 and the Hall of Fame inducted its first honorees in 2002. Joining Seddon as 2005 inductees to the Hall of Fame were Larry Cox, president of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, Walter H. Beech (1891-1950), founder of Beech Aircraft Corp., and joint-honorees Jim Wolfe (1948-1999) and Bob McNab, co-founders of Edwards and Associates, a leading helicopter dealer and helicopter parts manufacturer.