William R. Sears AKA William Rees Sears Born: 1-Mar-1913 Birthplace: Minneapolis, MN Died: 12-Oct-2002 Location of death: Tucson, AZ Cause of death: Illness
Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Occupation: Engineer Nationality: United States Executive summary: Airfoil engineer Military service: US Naval Reserve Aeronautical engineer William R. Sears studied under Theodore von Kármán, co-authored the von Kármán-Sears theory on changes in the velocity and the shape of an airfoil, and married von Kármán's secretary, Mabel Rhodes. His life's work involved oscillating airfoils in an ideal flow, compressible flow past bodies of revolution, and the general performance of airfoils. In a brief stint at Northrop Aircraft Corporation, he was largely responsible for the design of the P-61 (Black Widow) and the experimental "Flying Wing". Sears worked his way through college by playing drums for dance and jazz bands, and later played for several seasons with the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. Father: William Sears Mother: Gertrude Rees Sears Wife: Mabel Rhodes Sears (d. 26-Apr-2004) Son: David Sears Daughter: Susan Sears
University: BS Aeronautical Engineering, University of Minnesota (1934) University: PhD Aeronautics, California Institute of Technology (1938) Teacher: Aeronautics, California Institute of Technology (1937-41) Professor: Aeronautical Engineering, Cornell University (1946-74) Professor: Aerospace Engineering, University of Arizona (1974-2002)
ASME Medal 1989 Daniel Guggenheim Medal 1996
Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences Editor (1955-63)
American Academy of Arts and Sciences American Physical Society American Society of Mechanical Engineers National Academy of Engineering 1968 National Academy of Sciences 1974 National Science Foundation Northrop Chief of aerodynamics and flight testing (1941-46)
Author of books:
General Theory of High Speed Aerodynamics (1954) Stories from A 20th-Century Life (1994, memoir)
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