AIAA Mourns Passing Of Past President, Honorary Fellow

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) was saddened to announce the death on June 28 of Dr. Robert C. Seamans Jr., AIAA past president and Honorary Fellow, former secretary of the Air Force, and former deputy administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

"Robert Seamans was an unflagging champion of manned space flight, and his guidance and leadership at NASA helped establish the American space program as we know it today," said AIAA President George Muellner. "Dr. Seamans’ loss will be felt in all areas of aeronautics and astronautics, since his achievements spanned academia, industry, and government. The Institute mourns the passing of this renowned public servant and aerospace educator, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and his many friends."

Seamans was the ninth secretary of the Air Force, serving from 1969 to 1973, following his service as deputy administrator of NASA from 1965 to 1968. During his tenure at NASA, Seamans worked closely with the Department of Defense to improve cooperation between the two agencies.

After leaving public service, Seamans became a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1977, and was appointed dean of the Institute’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1978. He retired from MIT in 1984, but continued to serve as a senior lecturer in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics until 1996.

Seamans was an AIAA Honorary Fellow, and served as president of AIAA in 1969, resigning upon his appointment as secretary of the Air Force. He was also the recipient of three AIAA awards for notable achievements in the field of aerospace and public service: the 1951 Lawrence Sperry Award, the 1986 Durand Lecture Award, and the 1995 Daniel Guggenheim Award.  

FMI: www.aiaa.org, www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/seamans.html