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S A M B . W ILLIA M S
1921–2009
Elected in 1986
“For outstanding engineering achievements in advancing
small gas-turbine-engine technologies, and for
major contributions to aeronautical and automotive propulsion.”
SUBMITTED BY THE NAE HOME SECRETARY
SAM B. WILLIAMS, an aerospace pioneer who left his mark
on both military and civil aviation, died on June 22, 2009, at
the age of 88.
Sam was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 27, 1921,
and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. After earning a mechanical
engineering degree from Purdue University in 1942, he
worked for Chrysler, designing and developing the engine for
its turbine car. When Chrysler’s enthusiasm for turbine cars
began to wane, Sam left in 1955 to found Williams Research
(later renamed Williams International). He was convinced
that if his new company developed small, simple, affordable
turbines, new markets would follow.
Turbine technology had advanced rapidly since its invention
in the run-up to World War II, but most of the progress was
in large, complicated engines for fighter planes, and then
airliners. Sam steered turbine technology in a new direction,
developing miniature turbines that were far simpler thanks
to his genius for replacing many parts that each perform one
function with a single part that performs many functions.
New markets did follow. Thanks to Williams, turbojets
were now small enough, and affordable enough, that they
powered drones the U.S. Navy used for target practice.
And once Williams demonstrated a fuel-efficient twin-spool
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370 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
turbofan engine small enough to be worn like a backpack, the
U.S. Department of Defense was persuaded that this same
technology could make long-range cruise missiles possible.
Sam pursued his lifelong dream of making jet travel safe,
convenient, and affordable, and his team certified its first man-
rated turbofan engine, the FJ44-1, in 1992. By 2010 more than
4,000 FJ44 engines had entered service, powering a new class
of cleaner, quieter, more affordable light jets.
Sam’s role in creating new technologies earned him and
his team four of the highest awards in aerospace—the Collier
Trophy, the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, the National
Medal of Technology, and the National Aviation Hall of
Fame.
Sam could see things others couldn’t—simpler solutions,
the flow of air, a future of small jet planes. His gift for the
unseen was great. Maybe this gift was compensation for his
poor eyesight or maybe it just reflected his creative mind. But
whatever its source, there was no disputing his vision, because
Sam had the drive to realize the things he imagined. His legacy
included revolutionary products, 72 patents, and a continuous
quest for the next invention.
Dr. Williams also applied his gift for innovation to the many
charities he supported, especially through his promotion of
inventors and inventions in medical research for cancer and
degenerative eye diseases—one of the most notable being his
cofounding of Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., which
developed and is now producing the world’s first visual
prosthetic device, or “bionic eye.”
Sam Williams is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barbara
Gibson Williams, two sons and a daughter, and three
grandchildren. His son Gregg, who had been president and
chief executive officer of Williams International for many
years, assumed the title of chairman after his father’s death.
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