Allen, Lew (JPL Director)
Dates
- Existence: 1926 - 2010
Biographical/Historical
Background: Vice President and Director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1982-1991.
Biographical/Historical
Description: Lew Allen was born in Texas, attended West Point during World War II, and later received his PhD in physics at the University of Illinois (1954). After working as a research physicist at Los Alamos, he held several positions in space technology under the Secretary of Defense. In 1977 he was promoted to commander of the Air Force Systems Command and to the rank of general. In 1978 he became air force chief of staff, serving then on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Carter and Reagan presidential administrations. He was chosen to succeed Bruce Murray as director of JPL in 1982.
Biographical/Historical
Collection Notes: Oral History 1991 and 1994. A 55-page account with interviewer Heidi Aspaturian that tells Allen's career history in two parts. The first segment (1991) brings him to JPL and covers the very beginning of his tenure there, particularly the issues associated with his transition from the military into the civilian space program. The second part (1994) continues the story of his directorship of JPL, space missions and projects, and the US space program in general.
Found in 10 Collections and/or Records:
AirTalk with Lew Allen, Jr., 1990-09-19
Chapters in Aerospace History with dr. Lew Allen
Interview with Lew Allen, Jr., 1991-06-10 - 1994-04-04, 1999
Lew Allen Oral History Interview with Heidi Aspaturian, 1991-06-10 - 1994-04-04
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 5
- Unprocessed Material 4
- Digital Record 1
- Subject
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory 4
- AirTalk 3
- Alumni Day 1
- Chapters in Aerospace History 1
- Outer space--Exploration 1
