Akerman, John D., 1897-1972

John D. Akerman was born in Courland, Latvia in 1897, which was then part of Russia. He served with the Russian Imperial Air Service during WWII, in the Branch of Engineering Corps. He came to the US after the war, eventually receiving a B.S. Degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1925. He came to the University of Minnesota in 1929, as an associate professor in the Institute of Technology's Aeronautical Engineering department, becoming a full professor and head of that department in 1934. Akerman was an accomplished engineer, who helped develop several major advancements in the field of aeronautics such as the tail-less plane, a "Flying Wing" and the airfoil for the B-29 Bomber, used during World War II. Later, he was involved with the development of airplane oxygen systems. He has been listed in Who's Who in Engineering, American Men Of Science and Who's Who in Aeronautical Engineering throughout his career. He was elected to the Advisory Board of the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, the Royal Aeronautical Society in London, England, and the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences in Minnesota. He retired in 1962, and died January 8, 1972, at the age of 74.

From the guide to the John D. Akerman papers, 1929-1942, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University of Minnesota Archives [uarc])