BY FREDERICK F. LING

EDUARD C. PESTEL, industrial designer, researcher in mechanics, educator, and statesman, died on September 19, 1988, at the age of seventy-four.

Elected to the National Academy of Engineering as a foreign associate in February 1981, Eduard worked and studied on three continents. At the time of his election he was minister for science and art of the State of Lower Saxony, Germany. He was born in Hildesheim, Germany, on May 29, 1914.

Eduard attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Technical University (TU) of Hannover, Germany. He received an M.S. degree from Rensselaer in 1939 and a Dr. Ing. degree from the TU, Hannover, in 1947.

His earlier career was in industry. Between 1942 and 1946 he was head of the Engineering Division, Leybold K.K. in Osaka, Japan. From 1946 to 1947 he was director of the Planning and Research Division of Kinzoku Kogyo K.K., the Japanese industrial concern in Osaka.

Upon earning his Dr. Ing. degree, Eduard remained at the Technical University of Hannover. His professional history at the university follows: deputy director, Institute of Mechanics, 1948–1951; dean of faculty for mechanical engineering, 1961–1962; rector (president) of the university, 1969–1970; and professor and director of the Institute of Mechanics, 1957–1977. In 1977 Eduard was appointed minister for science and art of the State of Lower Saxony.