|
Items in cart [0] |
Questions? Call 888-624-8373 |
| Copyright © 2009. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Statement |
Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 250
OCR for page 251
GEORGE MICHAEL LOW
1926-1984
BY JAMES C. FLETCHER
GEORGE MICHAEL LOW, a long-term pioneer in the nation's
space program and a key figure in the success of the Apollo
lunar lancling, died of cancer at age fifty-eight on July 17,
1984. During the previous eight years, George Low was pres-
ident of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and, in addition to
cleveloping the institute into one of the nation's finest, played
a leacling role in formulating the nation's science and tech-
nology policy.
In fact, in recent years, whenever strong leadership was
neecled to resolve a new problem or to pursue a new oppor-
tunity in any branch of science or technology, George Low's
name was always at the top of the list. His contributions cov-
ered a broad span of disciplines: aviation, education, manu-
facturing technology, research, space automation almost
anything on the "cutting edge" of technology.
George Low was born in a small town just outside of Vi-
enna, Austria, in 1926. His family emigrated to America
when George was only fourteen, by which time his obsession
with engineering and technical matters was already well es-
tablishect. After graduating from high school in only two
years, he enterer] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy,
New York, but was ctraftecl into the army at the age of eigh-
teen.
During his army service, he became a naturalized citizen
251
OCR for page 252
252
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
(in 1945) and received his pilot's license. He was discharger!
in 1946 and returned to Rensselaer, earning a B.S. (1948)
and an M.S. (1950) in aeronautical engineering. While at
Rensselaer he married Mary R. McNamara, of Troy, New
York, a wonderful lacly who supporte(1 George fully in all his
later endeavors.
In 1949 George Low joined NASAs predecessor organi-
zation, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
(NACA), ant! began work as a research scientist at Lewis Re-
search Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. He remained there
until 1958, publishing many reports on his research. He soon
clemonstrated leadership qualities at the Lewis lab in several
capacities, the last of which was chief of the Special Projects
Branch, a position he helct until NASA was formed in 1958.
At that time he was brought to Washington as chief of
manned space flight for the newly formed agency.
In his new capacity, he helpe(1 prepare the material for
President John F. Kennedy that lecl to the president's an-
nouncement in 1961 that the country would embark on a
program to lane] men on the moon before the end of the
decade. As the new Apollo program got under way in 1964,
the Manned Spacecraft Center (now called the Johnson
Space Center) was establisher! in Houston, Texas, and
George Low was appointed deputy director. In this capacity,
he hac] overall responsibility for the Gemini and Apollo
spacecraft clevelopment, as well as for future program clevel-
opment and flight and astronaut operations—in fact, for all
activities related to manned space.
In April 1967, after the disastrous Apollo fire that killect
three astronauts, NASA administrator James Webb agreed
that Low should work fulItime on Apollo spacecraft devel-
opment as manager of the Apollo spacecraft program. In
this capacity, Low worked a grueling ninety-hour week for
more than a year and a half. In 1968 he clecIarecl that the
Apollo spacecraft was flight-worthy and persua(led deputy
administrator Thomas Paine to move the first flight to the
moon ahead of schedule to December 196S, thus leacling to
OCR for page 253
GEORGE MICHAEL LOW
253
the historic Apollo &, flight around the moon during the
Christmas season with astronauts Frank Borman, Bill An-
ctrews, and Jim Lovell aboard.
The moon landing soon followed on July 20, 1969, with
Neil Armstrong setting the first human foot on the moon-
a step that completed the program that George Low had rec-
ommended and President Kennedy had approved eight
years previously. A plaque in the Smithsonian Air and Space
Museum placer! less than a month after his death attests to
this fact.
In December 1969 Low was again summoner] to Washing-
ton, this time by President Richard Nixon. to become cleouty
administrator of NASA.
-1- ~
He served in that capacity until all
the Apollo flights were completed, including the Sky Lab and
the Apollo-Soyuz programs. The latter hac! been initiated by
President Nixon and Premier Brezhnev cluring the historic
summit conference of 1972. (At the suggestion of Dr. Henry
Kissinger, however, Low tract been sent on several secret mis-
sions to the Soviet Union to determine with absolute cer-
tainty that the program was feasible, both technically and po-
litically, before the president agreed to place it on the agenda
for the summit conference.) The entire program, from start
to finish, was completed in three years another near mira-
cle, especially considering the requirement of joint clevelop-
ment by two countries with completely different cultures ant]
political systems.
At the conclusion of the Apollo program and after twenty-
seven years of government service not withstanding
NASAs embarkation, under his leadership, on the new space
shuttle program Low began to consider the many offers he
received of positions outside the fecleral government. The
choice was easy. Even during his NASA clays, he had enjoyed
being with young people, and his vision of the future in-
cluded the education of the next generation of leaders in the
world of technology—the follow-on, so to speak, of the
Apollo heritage. Thus, when he was invited in 1976 to be-
come the fourteenth president of his old alma mater, Rens-
OCR for page 254
254
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
selaer Polytechnic Institute (RPl), he accepted readily and
began his second career.
RPI had always tract an exceptional student bocly, most of
which was drawn from the top five to ten percent of students
taking college admission tests. Low proceeclect to broaden its
earlier reputation as a first-cIass undergraduate school to
that of a national research university anc! a pioneer in several
areas of new technology. This program involvec! a number
of activities on Low's part, many of which required new skills
that had not been apparent during NASA days for ex-
ample, raising money. Low's mastering of such skills was soon
evident as new builclings were constructed, an inclustrial
park was developed, prestigious faculty were acIdecI, and RET
established new programs in manufacturing technology,
computer graphics, and integrated electronics that were
among the first in the nation.
Recognizing that the national visibility of RPI clepencled
partly on his own contributions, George began to accept as-
signments on the national level that he felt were sufficiently
important to require leadership from someone of his stature.
Perhaps the assignment with greatest visibility was his chair-
ing of the commission established uncler the National Re-
search Council to examine in detail the operation and main-
tenance procedures of the Federal Aviation Administration
after the disastrous DC-10 crash in Chicago in 1979.
Within the National Academies of Science and Engineer-
ing, his contribution was most outstanding in his role, in
1981, as the first chairman of COSEPUP (Committee on Sci-
ence, Engineering, ant! Public Policy). Studies ranging from
a broac! consideration of security restrictions on university
research to the technical competitiveness of U.S. industry
were conducted under COSEPUP's jurisdiction; all such
studies involved the nation's top scientists anc! engineers. Na-
tional policy in science and engineering has, to a large extent,
been derived from the studies sponsored by COSEPUP,
which Low chaired.
George Low had many talents and used them well to serve
OCR for page 255
GEORGE MICHAEL LOW
255
the nation and to educate future world leaclers. His writing
and speaking skills were well known and were used effec-
tively in managerial positions, in many of his published
speeches, ant! in his numerous committee assignments (and,
occasionally, as an outlet for his quiet humor, as the author
of this tribute can testify).
Another talent was his keen sense of institutional mecha-
nisms and how they aiclect or hinderer} whatever program he
might be implementing at the time. This ability was espe-
cially apparent at NASA headquarters in dealing with the
White House and Congress, but it was also noticeable in his
public speaking engagements at RPT and in his clearings with
the governor and the state legislature of New York.
He was a relentless program manager with an enormous
capacity for absorbing details to the wonder of everyone
who worked for him. At one point, during the period follow-
ing the Apollo fire, he said, "I probably know as much about
toggle switches as anyone else does in the worm." Toggle
switches had been one of the flaws in the Apollo spacecraft.
As a program manager, he had little tolerance for sloppy
work, excuses for errors, or general incompetence. One did
not remain for long on Low's team if any of these character-
istics was apparent. On the other hand, he never failed to
praise those who did measure up. In fact, many of Low's pro-
teges are now in charge of significant portions of the NASA
program and active in other parts of government. It is to be
expected that more recent graduates of RPI will be equally
successful.
George Low rarely commented on his many accomplish-
ments, but once when asked, he stated "A career isn't a plan,
it's a series of opportunities." For him, that statement was,
incleecl, true. He could have remainec! a skilled, successful
researcher and enjoyed it, or he could have been an exacting
clesigner-engineer. Yet the combination of his talents and his
capacity for hard work when the occasion required it pushed
him into more anct more responsible positions a progres-
sion that ended only with his death—as president of RPI,
OCR for page 256
256
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
chairman of COSEPUP, and a director of the General Elec-
tric Company.
His clearsighted perception of future trends led him to a
firm, positive belief in progress and, although his vision was
always on "the future," his contributions, both at NASA and
at RPI, were practical, well thought out, and completed in
"the present." His interest in the future was reflected in an
interest in youth, not only at NASA and RPI but also in his
Elevation to his five children, Mark, Diane, David, John, and
Nancy.
Low received many honors, medals, and honorary degrees
throughout his career, beginning, perhaps, in 1963 with the
Arthur FIemming Award for the ten outstanding young men
in government and continuing with the National Academy
of Engineering's Founders Award in 1978—the highest
award given by the academy. On July 20, 1984, the fifteenth
anniversary of the lancting on the moon and three days after
George how's passing, President Reagan announced that
Low wouIct receive the Medal of Freedom, the nation's high-
est award to a civilian.
George Low was impressive as an associate, awesome as a
boss, but kinkily and gentle as a friend. As the president said
on July 20, "We're grateful for what George Low has done
and the ideals he stood for, and we'll miss him very much."
OCR for page 257
Representative terms from entire chapter:
apollo spacecraft
