1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., Congressional Gold Medal Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) In 1952, James A. Lovell, Jr., graduated from the Naval Academy and served with distinction in the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot, later making important contributions as a test pilot. (2) As a crew member for the Gemini 7 mission and Commander for the Gemini 12 mission, Lovell played a critical role in these missions which were critical steps towards making the later Apollo lunar missions possible. (3) On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A, destined for lunar orbit. Lovell, William Anders, and Frank Borman became the first humans to reach the Moon’s orbit