Clarke B. Millikan | |
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| Born | Clarke Blanchard Millikan (1903-08-23)August 23, 1903 |
| Died | January 2, 1966(1966-01-02) (aged 62) |
| Nationality | American |
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| Fields | Physics |
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| Thesis | Some problems in the steady motion of viscous, incompressible fluids; with particular reference to a variation principle (1928) |
Clark Blanchard Millikan (August 23, 1903 – January 2, 1966) was a distinguished professor ofaeronautics at theCalifornia Institute of Technology (Caltech), and a founding member of theNational Academy of Engineering.[2]
Millikan's parents were noted physicistRobert A. Millikan and Greta Erwin Blanchard. He attended theUniversity of Chicago Laboratory Schools, graduated fromYale College in 1924, then earned his PhD inphysics andmathematics atCaltech in 1928 under ProfessorHarry Bateman. He became a professor upon receiving his degree, full professor ofaeronautics in 1940, and director of theGuggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory in 1949.[3]
His first major engineering work began with the construction of largewind tunnels, particularly the Southern California Cooperative Wind Tunnel inPasadena, which was shared by five major aircraft companies. In 1942, Rolf Sabersky worked in mechanical design on the Southern California Cooperative Wind Tunnel underMark Serrurier and Hap Richards.[4][5][6] Caltech wind tunnels were subsequently used during the design phase of more than 600 types of aircraft and missiles.[3]
He was active in the formation of theJet Propulsion Laboratory duringWorld War II, and served as chairman of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory committee from 1949 onwards. He also taught first college course inrocket propulsion in the United States. He authoredAerodynamics of the Airplane.[3]
Millikan received both theMedal for Merit from theU.S. President and the British government'sKing's Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom for hisWorld War II work in aeronautics andballistic missiles. He also served as a member of theAir Force Scientific Advisory Board,Naval Research Advisory Committee,Defense Science Board, and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the ArmyBallistic Research Laboratory. He was a fellow of theRoyal Aeronautical Society of Great Britain, theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences, and theAmerican Physical Society, and an honorary fellow of theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (having served as president of its predecessor, the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, in 1937). He was elected to theNational Academy of Sciences in 1964 and was a founding member of theNational Academy of Engineering.[3]
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