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Hugh Latimer Dryden

From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.

Dr. Hugh Latimer Dryden (July 2, 1898–December 2, 1965) was an aeronautical scientist and civil servant. He served as NASA Deputy Administrator from August 19, 1958 until his death on December 2, 1965.

He was born in Pocomoke City, Maryland, the son of Samuel Isaac and Nova Hill Culver Dryden, and was named after a popular local Methodist clergyman. During the financial panic of 1907, his father lost his job and the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland.

As a student he excelled in mathematics. He graduated from Baltimore City College, a High School, at the age of 14, and was the youngest student ever to graduate from that school. He was awarded the Peabody Prize for excellence in mathematics. With a scholarship, he was admitted to John Hopkins University and graduated with honors, after only three years, with a bachelor of arts degree. He earned a M.S. in physics in 1916. His thesis was titled, "Airplanes: An Introduction to the Physical Principles Embodied in their Use."

In 1918 he joined the National Bureau of Standards, becoming an inspector of guages. With the help and influence of Dr. Joseph S. Ames, he obtained a transfer to the bureau's Wind Tunnel division, and began taking graduate courses in fluid dynamics to complete his Ph.D. In 1919 at the age of 20, he was awarded his degree in physics and mathematics from John Hopkins University, the youngest person ever to have received a doctorate from that institution. His thesis was on the "Air Forces on Circular Cylinders".

In 1920 he became the director of the Aerodynamics Division of the National Bureau of Standards, a newly-created section. Collaborating with Dr. Lyman J. Briggs, he performed studies of airfoils near the speed of sound. He also performed pioneering aerodynamics research on the problems of airflow, turbulence, and especially the boundary layer phenomenon. His work contributed to the design of the wings for the P-51 Mustang, as well as other aircraft designed during World War II.

By 1934 he had become the bureau's Chief of the Mechanics and Sound Division. In 1939 he became a member of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

With the start of World War II, Dr. Dryden served in an advisory capacity to the Air Force. He led the development of the "Bat", a radar-homing guided missile program. This was successfully employed in combat in April, 1945 to sink a Japanese destroyer.

After the war Dr. Dryden became the Director of Aeronautical Research for NACA in 1946. While at the NACA he supervised the development of the X-15, a rocket-powered test plane. He also established programs for VSTOL aircraft, and studied the problem of atmospheric reentry.

He held the position of Director of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA's predecessor, from 1947 until October 1958. In addition he served on numerous government advisory committees, including the Scientific Advisory Committee to the President. From 1941 until 1956 he was editor of the Journal of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences. After NACA became NASA, he became the Deputy Director of that organization, serving until his death.

He passed away from cancer on December 2, 1965. Michael Gorn described him as a quiet, reserved man who was self-effacing and diligent. He was patient, a good teacher, and effective when collaborating with others. He was also a devout Methodist, who, as a result, had a dislike of self-promotion. He served as a lay minister for his entire adult life. He was married to Mary Libbie Travers, and the couple had three children.

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Bibliography

Dr. Dryden published over a hundred papers and articles.

"Turbulence and the Boundary Layer", Wright Brothers Lecture, 1938.
"The Role of Transition from Laminar to Turbulent Flow in Fluid Mechanics", 1941, procedings University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference on Fluid Mechanics and Statistical Methods in Engineering.
"Recent advances in the mechanics of boundary layer flow", Academic Press Inc., New York, 1948.
Dryden, Hugh L., and Abbott, Ira H., "The design of low-turbulence wind tunnels", NACA, Technical Note 1755, Nov 1949.
"General Survey of Experimental Aerodynamics", 1956, Dover.
"The International Geophysical Year: Man’s most ambitious study of his environment," National Geographic, February 1956, pp. 285-285.
"Footprints on the Moon", National Geographic, March 1964, pp. 356-401.

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Awards and Honors

Presidential Certificate of Merit.
Daniel Guggenheim Medal, 1950.
Wright brothers memorial trophy, 1956.
Baltimore City College Hall of Fame, 1958.
Career Service Award from the National Civil Service League, 1958.
National Medal of Science award in Engineering, 1965.
Sixteen honorary doctorates.
Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Member of the National Academy of Sciences.
The NASA Flight Research Center was renamed the NASA Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center on March 26, 1976.
Dryden crater on the Moon is named for him.

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References

Michael Gorn, "A Powerful Friendship: Theodore von Kármán and Hugh L. Dryden", NASA TM-2003-212031.
Michael H. Gorn, "Hugh L. Dryden's Careeer in Aviation and Space", 1996, Washington, D.C., Monographs in Aerospace History.

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