Lloyd Hamilton Donnell (May 25, 1895 – November 7, 1997) was an Americanmechanical engineer, and Professor ofMechanical Engineering at theIllinois Institute of Technology. He is considered internationally renowned expert inengineering mechanics,[1] specifically known for his work onshell analysis andthin-shell structure.[2] He was recipient of the 1969ASME Medal.[3]
Donnell was bornKents Hill, Maine in 1895, son of Albert Webb Donnell and Annie Morrell Hamilton Donnell. His father was a teacher and his mother an author.[4] After regular education he obtained his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from theUniversity of Michigan in 1915.[5][6] In 1930 he also obtained his PhD at the University of Michigan underStephen Timoshenko.
After his graduation in 1915, Donnell had started teaching atUniversity of Michigan. From 1930 to 1933 he was research assistant at the Aeronautical Laboratory of Caltech atTheodore von Kármán. From 1933 to 1939 he was engineer atGoodyear Zeppelin Company, where he worked on the design of airships.
In 1939 Donnell joined the Illinois Institute of Technology faculty, where he served as Professor of Mechanical Engineering until his retirement in 1962. Afterwards he was Professor atStanford University, and in 1974 guest professor at theUniversity of Houston.
Donnell was founding editor of the engineering journalApplied Mechanics Reviews. He was awarded the honorary doctor degree by theIllinois Institute of Technology. In 1960 he received theWorcester Reed Warner Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME),[7] theTheodore von Karman Medal in 1968 and theASME Medal in 1969.
Donnell is known for his "stress-analysis research into cylindrical shells, which advanced development of monocoque (wherein the external frame helps supports structural load) bodies for automobiles and planes. He also studied dynamics, elasticity, instability, and wave propagation."[4]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
