Theodore Von Kármán

Dates

May 11, 1881 – May 7, 1963

Authorized Form of Name

Von Kármán, Theodore, 1881-1963, 1881-1963

Additional Forms of Names

Kármán, Th. v. (Theodore von), 1881-1963

Kármán, Theodor von, 1881-1963

Kármán, Theodore v. (Theodore von), 1881-1963

Kármán, Theodore von, 1881-1963

Kármán, Tódor, 1881-1963

Biography

Abstract

Theodore von Kármán was Director of the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratories at California Institute of Technology (1930-1949). Other institutional affiliations include Aachen Aeronautical Institute. His research interests included aeronautical engineering and fluid dynamics.

Important Dates

May 11, 1881Birth, Budapest (Hungary).

1902Obtained ME, Royal Technical University, Budapest (Hungary).

1903 – 1906Research Engineer, Ganz and Company.

1903 – 1906Assistant Professor, Royal Technical University, Budapest.

1908Obtained PhD, University of Göttingen, Göttingen (Germany).

1909 – 1912Privatdozent, University of Göttingen.

1912 – 1928Consultant, Junkers Airplane Works.

1912 – 1929Director, Aachen Aeronautical Institute, Aachen (Germany).

1914 – 1918Officer, Austro-Hungarian Air Corps.

1924 – 1928Consultant, Luftschiffbau Zeppelin.

1926 – 1927Advisor and Consultant on Design, Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratories, California Institute of Technology.

1926 – 1930Consultant, Handley-Page, Ltd..

1927 – 1929Consultant, Kawanishi Airplane Company.

1928 – 1963Research Associate (1928-1930); Director, Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratories (1930-1949); Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (1938-1945); and Professor Emeritus (1949-1963), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1930 – 1935Director, Guggenheim Airship Institute, Akron (Ohio).

1933 – 1937Consultant, Special Committee to Investigate the Akron and Macon Dirrigible Disasters, United States Navy.

1934 – 1938Consultant, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

1938 – 1952Consultant, Ballistics Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, United States Army.

1939 – 1941Consultant, Wright Field, Army Air Corps, United States Army.

1939 – 1941Consultant, Smith-Putnam Wind Turbine for Development of Electricity.

1939 – 1942Consultant, Grand Coulee Dam Project.

1939 – 1947Consultant, Army Air Corps, United States Army.

1940 – 1960Consultant, General Electric Company.

1941 – 1943Consultant, High Speed Wind Tunnel, Boeing Aircraft Company.

1941 – 1949Consultant, Northrop Aircraft Company.

1942Consultant, Board to Investigate the Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, State of Washington.

1944 – 1963Chair (1944-1954) and Chair Emeritus (1954-1963), Scientific Advisory Board, United States Air Force.

1947 – 1963Consultant, United States Air Force.

1952 – 1963Chair, Advisory Group for Aeronautical Research and Development (AGARD), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

1955 – 1963Consultant, Convair Division, General Dynamics Corporation.

1955 – 1963Scientific Director, General Applied Science Laboratories, Inc.

1956Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1957 – 1958Director, NAS-Air Research and Development Command Summer Study Groups, National Academy of Sciences and United States Air Force.

1958 – 1963Consultant and Chair, Technical Advisory Committee, Allison Division, General Motors Company.

1959Victor Emanuel Visiting Professor for Engineering, Cornell University.

1960 – 1963Consultant and Member, Board of Directors, Tool Research and Engineering Corporation.

1961Member, Board of Trustees, Washington Planetarium and Space Center.

1962Awarded National Medal of Science.

May 11, 1963Death, Aachen (Germany).

Occupation

Aeronautical engineer.

Places

Subjects

Relationships

People

Family

Konn, Helene

Mother.

Von Kármán, Maurice

Father.

Von Kármán, Pipö

Sister.

Advisors & Collaborators

Biot, Maurice A., (Maurice Anthony), 1905-

Co-wrote “Mathematical methods in engineering; an introduction to the mathematical treatment of engineering problems.”

Clauser, Francis Hettinger

Advised by Von Kármán at California Institute of Technology, "The effect of curvature on the transition from laminar to the turbulent boundary layer."

Hanle, Paul A.

Co-wrote “Bringing aerodynamics to America.”

Lin, C. C. (Chia-Chʻiao), 1916-2013

Advised by Von Kármán at California Institute of Technology, "On the development of turbulence," and both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Marble, Frank E.

Advised by Von Kármán at California Institute of Technology.

Prandtl, Ludwig

PhD advisor at University of Göttingen.

Sears, William Rees, 1913-2002

Advised by Von Kármán at California Institute of Technology.

Stewart, Homer J.

Advised by Von Kármán at California Institute of Technology "The effect of shear instability on the transverse circulation in the atmosphere."