Francis Edward McLean graduated from Louisiana Polytechnic institute (B.S. Math-Physics, 1948). Beginning in 1948, McLean held several positions and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), including principal aerodynamic evaluator and consultant in the U.S. Supersonic Transport Program (1963-1969), head of the Langley Research Center's Aero-Thermo Section (1968-1971), aeronautical manager and head of the NASA Supersonic Technology Office (1974-1978). McLean was presented with patent awards in 1966 and 1968 for supersonic airplane design and is the author of Supersonic Cruise Technology (Washington D.C., NASA, 1985). He retired from NASA in 1978.
From the guide to the F. Edward McLean Papers, 1950-1985, (Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.)
