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JOHN FRANCIS McCARTHY, JR.
1 925-1 986
BY WILLIA M B. BERGEN
JOHN MCCARTHY, a recognized scientist and engineer, died
on February 7,1986. He is remembered for his engineer-
ing accomplishments that spanned an unusually broad range
and were of considerable significance. Equally important,
he was a man known for his willingness to share his know]-
edge with students and through his many published papers.
He was a true contributor in every sense.
Born on August 8, 1925, in Massachusetts, and following
military service from 1944 to 1946 and work for Trans World
Airlines in Rome, Italy, John enrolled at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT). There he received his B.S.
in 1950 and his M.S. in 1951, both in aeronautical engi-
neering. In 1962 he earned his Ph.D. from the California
Institute of Technology.
From 1951 to 1955 John served as project manager in
the Aeroelastic and Structures Research Laboratory at MIT
where he made major contributions to knowledge in supersonic
flutter through his development of techniques for testing
in the blowdown tunnel. This work included the design
and operation of one of the first variable Mach number
supersonic test sections on which he performed some of
the earliest successful supersonic flutter tests. He also did
extensive research in aerodynamics, Toads, aeroelasticity,
and vehicle dynamics, being a prolific contributor to the
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MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
activities of the Aeroelastic Laboratory at a period of its
maximum effectiveness.
In 1955 he became an operations analyst at the headquarters
of the Strategic Air Command and in 1961 vice-president
of research and engineering in the Space Division of North
American Rockwell Corporation where he was responsible
for the direction and conduct of research, engineering,
and test activities. In his work for the Space Division, he
was a key figure in the basic design and testing of the Apollo
command and service modules and the Saturn S-~] stage
of the Saturn V launch vehicle. He envisaged many of the
concepts for these projects, which ultimately culminated in
the successful manned lunar landings.
In 1971 after the Apollo program, he became a professor
in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT
and in 1974 director of MIT's Center for Space Research.
During his tenure there, the center pioneered in the successful
execution of space experiments to investigate the plasma
and x-ray properties of outer space.
He then went on in 1978 to become director of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Lewis
Research Center where he was responsible for the effective
accomplishment of the mission and support activities of
the Center, including aeronautics, space systems and tech-
nology, launch vehicles, and energy programs. In addition,
as a member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board
and chairman of the Aeronautical Systems Division Advisory
Group, he played an important role in many Air Force
programs. For example, John headed part of the review of
the Ck5 transport aircraft when previous reviews had identified
the wing structure of the C-5 as marginal and questions
had arisen in regard to not only safety but also instrumen-
tation, inspection, and anticipated flight hours. John's re-
view group concluded that the aircraft could be safely flown
but that extraordinary measures should be taken to ensure
a reasonable life expectancy. The H-Mod recommended
by the group and adopted by the Air Force for the wing
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JOHN FRANCIS McCARTHY, JR.
237
more than tripled the structural life of the aircraft. He
also led study groups to identify structural modifications to
increase the structural life of the B-52D, F-4, A-10, and KC-
135 aircraft.
In 1982 John returned to industry as vice-president and
general manager of Northrop's Electro-Mechanical Division.
John was a blend of the scientist and engineer. He was
an avic} technical writer and delivered many papers (over
ninety-two publications) in this country and abroad. In
1981 he was elected a member of the National Academy of
Engineering. He was also a fellow of the American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics (director ~ 975-76), associ-
ate fellow of The Royal Aeronautical Society, and chairman
of the Aeronautical Systems Division's Advisory Group of
the U.S. Air Force Systems Command from 1971 to 1978.
He was a member of the NASA Research Advisory Committee
on Space Vehicle Aerodynamics and NASA Research &
Technology Advisory Council-Pane] of Space Vehicles; Sci-
entific Advisory Group of The joint Chiefs of Staff; Scientific
Advisory Board of the U.S. Air Force; Research and Devel-
opment Planning Council of the American Management
Associations; executive committee of the American Society
for Engineering Education-Aerospace Division; The Society
of the Sigma Xi; and Sigma Gamma Tan, national honorary
aeronautical society. John also served as a consultant for
the Office of Director of Defense Research and Engineering,
Office of the Secretary of Defense.
His awards included the Apollo Achievement Award from
NASA in 1969, the Award for Meritorious Civilian Service
from the U.S. Air Force in 1973, Decoration for Exceptional
Civilian Service from the U.S. Air Force in 1978, and NASA's
Distinguished Service Medal in 1982.
John's steady dedication to the value of an engineer at
the top of the decision process for high-technology products
served as an example to us all. His quiet understanding of
the new problems involving materials and structures under
intense use set up new criteria in both his military and
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MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
commercial design work that increased the life of critical
structures and critical materials by factors of 1.05 to 2.0 or
perhaps 3.0 depending on the part and adequacy of its
original requirements. However, though his technical
contributions were substantial, his major contributions may
have been in his ability to lead and inspire other engineers
by virtue of his clear insight and technical depth in analyzing
engineering problems and his excellent judgment in plan-
ning and executing complex engineering tasks.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
civilian service
