Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering represents the achievements and sacrifices of Purdue University alumni. It honors Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, and other astronaut alumni including Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon. The building also remembers the legacy of Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Roger Chaffee, who were killed in the Apollo 1 accident, and it represents equal opportunities in engineering regardless of gender or ethnicity.