Wed, Jul 02, 2008
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.
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