1997
May
February
1995
December
September
May
May 1997
Aeronautical giant gives Iowa State a lift
lide rules, a wind tunnel and a small but enthusiastic group of
faculty and students made up Iowa State's department of aeronautical
engineering more than half a century ago. Through its remarkable
evolution -- including a name change in 1960 to reflect the nation's
commitment to space flight -- ISU's department of aerospace engineering
and engineering mechanics maintained close ties to the people who were
instrumental in its growth, including T. A. Wilson.
Wilson was a member of aeronautical engineering's first graduating class
in March 1943. He returned three years later as one of the department's
three instructors and went on to become chairman of the board and CEO of
The Boeing Corp.
Wilson and his wife, Grace, Seattle, have given Iowa State $1 million to fund an endowed faculty chair in the College of Engineering, preferably in the department of civil engineering or aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics.
The Grace Miller Wilson and T. Wilson Endowed Engineering Chair strengthens a faculty already known for its engineering expertise and teaching effectiveness and underscores two families' strong ties to Iowa State.
The legacy began with Grace's father, Roy Miller, who received a civil engineering degree in 1910 and a professional engineering degree in 1922. He was a close associate of Anson Marston, Iowa State's first dean of engineering. Grace's brother, Roy Miller Jr., earned a degree in civil engineering in 1943, the same year Wilson completed his degree in aeronautical engineering. Grace completed a degree in applied art in 1944.
Associate professor emeritus Paul Jacob Hermann can attest to Wilson's lifelong affinity to Iowa State and its people. In 1967, he was an assistant professor, attending a seminar on aerospace technology, when he met up with his professor of 20 years earlier.
"I was registering at the desk and waiting to learn the seating arrangements for breakfast that morning when I heard somebody say, 'I'm looking for a P.J. Hermann.' I turned around and saw T.A. Wilson, the executive vice president of the Boeing Corp., who said, 'P.J., why don't you come sit at my table this morning.'
"Here I am, a college professor, coming out of antiquity as far as he was concerned, and he remembered me from our days at Iowa State and specifically came to the registration desk to ask for me. That's T.A. Wilson for you."
Wilson began his Boeing career as a draftsman on the XC-97. He was instrumental in the design of the dramatically new B-47 swept-wing bomber, served as overall project engineer of the B-52 bomber program during its latter stages, and managed the Minuteman missile program that established Boeing as a leader in multi-contractor systems integration work of vast size and complexity.
The 1982 Collier Trophy was awarded to Wilson and Boeing for their part in developing the Boeing 757 and 767. His many honors include enshrinement in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983 for engineering and managerial achievements.
Wilson's contributions to the fields of aeronautics and aerospace technology reflect a long-held commitment to excellence in ISU's department of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics. Courses have been adjusted over the years to account for new challenges, ideas and expanding technologies in a variety of fields, particularly as they relate to the shift from earthbound to aerospace applications.
In the 1940s, Iowa State's aeronautical engineering department tested air-planes in a wind tunnel and ran engines on a dynamometer. In the 1990s, the aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics department studies data generated by state-of-the-art computer systems. The emphasis throughout the decades has been on teaching the basics of engineering and aerodynamics, then applying them to contemporary needs.
College of Engineering Dean James L. Melsa said the Wilsons' gift to endow a faculty chair will "help launch new generations of engineers on challenging and satisfying professional careers."
It also serves as a reminder that wherever their careers take them, ISU alumni remain dedicated to excellence at ISU. The Wilsons' gift is part of Campaign Destiny: To Become the Best, the largest private fund- raising drive in the history of Iowa State.
-- David Craft, Special to The Iowa Stater
The Iowa Stater, Stater@iastate.edu, University Relations
Iowa State homepage
Copyright © 1996, Iowa State University, all rights reserved
URL:http://www.iastate.edu/general/IaStater/1996/0597/aeronautical.html<
br>
Revised 5/27/97