Seamans, Robert Channing, Jr.

▪ 2009

      American aeronautical engineer

born Oct. 30, 1918, Salem, Mass.

died June 28, 2008, Beverly Farms, Mass.

was a pioneer in the development of advanced systems of flight control, fire control, and guidance for modern aircraft. In 1941 Seamans became an instructor of aircraft instrumentation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) while still working on his master's degree. Under the instruction and guidance of American engineer C. Stark Draper, Seamans worked on fire-control systems for naval antiaircraft guns. His doctoral work on the problems of control and guidance of high-speed aircraft proved valuable in the development of automatic flight control, automatic tracking equipment, homing systems for guided missiles, and intercontinental ballistic missile control systems. At MIT Seamans became assistant professor of aeronautical engineering in 1945 and associate professor in 1950. After working as chief engineer (1950–55) of Project Meteor, a naval guided-missile program, he became head of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) Airborne Systems Laboratory, Boston. Three years later he became chief engineer of RCA's Missile Electronics and Controls Division. He was an associate administrator (1960–65) and deputy administrator (1965–68) of NASA before serving (1969–73) as secretary of the air force. Seamans was also president (1973–74) of the National Academy of Engineering and administrator (1974–76) of the Energy Research and Development Administration. He returned to MIT in 1977 as Luce Professor of Environment and Public Policy; the following year he was named dean of the MIT School of Engineering, a post he held until 1981. Seamans received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1965 and 1969 and the Thomas D. White National Defense Award in 1980.

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