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JosePH g. gaViN, Jr.
1920–2010
elected in 1974
“For leadership in the design and production of the Apollo Lunar Module.”
By Neil arMsTroNg
J osePH g. gaViN, Jr., a highly regarded aerospace engineer
and former president, chief operating officer, and director of
the grumman corporation died on october 30, 2010, at age
90.
Joe was born in somerville, Massachusetts, on september
18, 1920. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts institute of
Technology in 1941 and 1942. after graduation he joined the
U.S. Navy and was assigned as a jet fighter project officer in
the Bureau of aeronautics.
in 1946 he joined the grumman aircraft engineering
Corporation as a design engineer on Grumman’s first jet fighter,
the XF9F “Panther.” Joe was subsequently the project engineer
on Grumman’s first swept wing fighter, the F9F-6 “Cougar,”
co-project engineer on the supersonic F11F-1 “Tiger,” and chief
experimental project engineer.
He was named chief missile and space engineer in 1957
and oversaw development of the orbiting astronomical
Observatory, Grumman’s first spacecraft, whose success
influenced the building of the Hubble Space Telescope.
The grumman space group was deeply involved in the
bidding for the apollo command Module at the time when
the mission mode was still undecided. grumman was not on
the winning team for the command Module (North american
was the winner) but, as it happened, the space group had been
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112 MeMorial TriBUTes
working on lunar orbital rendezvous. The group continued
to work on the craft that would be required for that mode.
When, in 1962, the lunar orbit rendezvous mode was
approved, gavin’s team had a substantial lead and won the
competition for the lunar excursion Module (leM; later
shortened to lunar Module, lM). Joe gavin, now a grumman
vice president, was named the lM program director. He
directed the team to begin work immediately, although the
contract was not signed until March 1963. He led the team
in the design and construction of a unique vehicle, a true
spacecraft that could travel only in the vacuum of space. The
challenge of creating a machine carrying two men from lunar
orbit to the lunar surface and back up into lunar orbit with a
total weight of 32,000 pounds demanded enormous ingenuity
and the very best engineering skills.
Joe continued as director of the lunar Module program
throughout the remainder of the apollo lunar missions. every
Lunar Module was successful and, on the flight of Apollo 13,
the lM, in a mode for which it was not designed, saved the
flight and the crew after an explosion in the Service Module.
Joseph gavin went on to become president and chairman of
the board of the grumman aircraft engineering corporation
and in 1976 became president and chief operating officer of the
parent grumman corporation until his retirement in 1985.
among other awards, he received the National aeronautics
and space administration’s distinguished Public service
Medal for his contributions to the apollo program. He was
a fellow of the american astronautical association and a
honorary fellow and past president of the american institute
of aeronautics and astronautics.
Joe gavin chaired the National research council’s
committee on earth-to-orbit Transportation options and
the committee on advanced space-Based High-Power
Technologies. He was a member of the energy research
advisory Board of the U.s. department of energy and a
member of the Policy advisory committee, advisory Panel
on fusion energy, for the U.s. department of defense.
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JosePH g. gaViN, Jr.
Joe gavin maintained a strong lifetime association with his
alma mater, the Massachusetts institute of Technology. He
was a life member of the MiT corporation and served on its
executive committee from 1984 to 1991.
He was a director of the charles stark draper laboratory
and a member of the MiT education council. He served on a
number of MiT visiting committees and was president of the
alumni association from 1986 to 1987.
The MiT instrumentation laboratory (later the draper
lab) was responsible for the apollo guidance and Navigation
system. dick Battin, director of mission development for the
MiT apollo program, reported that Joe gavin was dedicated
to engineering education and often lectured in Battin’s
seminars.
carl Mueller, fellow member of the MiT class of 1941,
called Joe “a modest gentle man whose powerful intellect and
effective leadership have literally put men on the moon and
returned them safely to earth.”
Joseph g. gavin, Jr., was an engineer and engineering
manager in the highest tradition of the National academy of
engineering and will be well remembered.
His wife wrote:
“Gavin served in many community leadership
positions, including head of the school board, hospital
board, and charities. He was an active supporter and
fundraiser for his schools. He had a lifelong interest in
learning and the advancement of science, and he was
a frequent guest speaker to audiences of many levels:
school children, academics and business groups. His
interests included energy policy and alternative energy
sources such as fusion, solar, and wind energy, and he
served on some government advisory committees.
He was a graduate of Boston latin school, and was a
voracious reader and a history buff. He spoke german
and read latin. one hobby was traveling with his family.
as a former captain of the MiT crew, he enjoyed sports,
particularly tennis and downhill skiing, until age 86.”
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He is survived by his wife of 67 years, dorothy; his sons,
Joseph iii and donald; and four grandchildren. a daughter,
Tay anne gavin erickson, died in 1998.
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