10 Aerospace Grads Who Took Flight
Ray Bisplinghoff, Eng ’40, MS (Eng) ’42, HonDoc ’63, led advances in research and technology for NASA and was intimately involved in planning Apollo missions 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. He later served as engineering dean at MIT and deputy director of the National Science Foundation. He was also elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Rodney Boudreaux, Eng ’60, PhD (Eng) ’65, became vice president at RocketDyne, a chief supplier of NASA’s rocket engines, particularly the Saturn family that powered the Apollo moon program.
Jim Thomas, Eng ’61, enjoyed a 26-year career as an Air Force test pilot who flew more than 40 different kinds of planes, including the F-15, U2 and F-117A Stealth Fighter. Retired as a colonel in 1987.
Larry Lantzer, Eng ’61, a decorated Navy test pilot who became air department head on the U.S.S. Constellation and squadron commanding officer at Pearl Harbor.
Barry Hannah, Eng ’63, MS (Eng) ’65, PhD (Eng) ’73, became the Navy’s preeminent aerospace engineering leader for strategic nuclear reentry systems.
Kenneth Token, Eng ’63, became McDonnell Douglas’ director of engineering of “Phantom Works,” the corporation’s classified projects area.
John Morrison, Eng ’66, retired as vice president after three decades with Gulfstream.
Thomas Wakeman, Eng ’71, PhD (Eng) ’82, was instrumental in developing the revolutionary unducted fan engine, led nozzle design for the F-16 fighter, holds 39 patents and led the effort to design UC’s hot erosion tunnel to measure erosion characteristics.
Richard Johnson, Eng ’73, became chief engineer and vice president for Gulfstream and was instrumental in design and certification of the Gulfstream III, IV and V executive jet program.
Dinesh Keskar, MS (Eng) ’77, PhD (Eng) ’79, became president of Boeing India and vice president of Boeing International Trading.