Gilruth, Robert R. (Robert Rowe), 1913-2000

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1913-10-18
Death 2000-08-17
Americans
English

Biographical notes:

Gilruth was Director of MSC.

From the description of Ranger 6 Camera Failure : letter to William H. Pickering, JPL Director, 1964 Feb 13. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733098480

Robert R. Gilruth (1913-2000) was an aerospace engineer and NACA/NASA administrator. He received his B.S. in aeronautical engineering from the University of Minnesota (1935), as well as his M.S. (1936). Gilruth was also a flight research engineer for Langley Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (1937-1945). From 1945 to 1950, he worked as chief of the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division, and assistant director (1950-58). He headed the Space Task Group for NASA (1958-61), and was charged with directing Project Mercury. From 1961 to 1972, he was the first director of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston.

The NASA website has a number of more extensive resources on Gilruth's work, including interviews and press releases, discoverable by going to the site and searching "Gilruth."

From the guide to the Robert R. Gilruth Papers, 1936-1989, (Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.)

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Information

Subjects:

  • United States
  • Archives of American Aerospace Exploration (AAAE)
  • Ranger 6 lunar probe
  • Science and technology

Occupations:

  • Aerospace engineers
  • United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Places:

  • Charlottesville, VA, US
  • Nashwauk, MN, US