A Powerful Friendship: Theodore von Kármán and Hugh L. Dryden
Gorn, Michael (2003) A Powerful Friendship: Theodore von Kármán and Hugh L. Dryden. Technical Report NASA/TM-2003-212031, Research Engineering, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.
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Abstract
During their long personal friendship and professional association, Theodore von Karman (1882-1963) and Hugh L. Dryden (1898-1965) exercised a pivotal if somewhat elusive influence over American aeronautics and spaceflight. Both decisive figures in organizing scientists and engineers at home and abroad, both men of undisputed eminence in their technical fields, their range of contacts in government, academia, the armed forces, industry, and professional societies spanned the globe to an extent unparalleled then as now. Moreover, because they coordinated their activities closely, their combined influence far exceeded the sum of each one’s individual contributions. This paper illustrates their personal origins as well as the foundations of their friendship, how their relationship became a professional alliance, and their joint impact on the world of aeronautics and astronautics during the twentieth century.
| EPrint Type: | NASA Technical Memorandum |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Aeronautical history, Hugh L. Dryden, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (the NACA), Science advising, Theodore von Kármán |
| Subjects: | (99) General |
| ID Code: | 29 |
| Deposited On: | 28 May 2004 |
| Additional Information: | 16 pages. Also presented as an invited paper at the 41st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nevada, January 6-9, 2003, AIAA-2003-0289. |
