Von Karman

During a recent visit to the Hollywood Cemetery I saw with amazement that the resting place of a truly great man whose life I am researching--Dr. Theodore von Karman--was unmarked, his plaque removed by vandals.

As many of your readers will know, Von Karman, Caltech, and Pasadena were intimately linked. A mathematical genius and founder of the discipline of aerodynamics, Von Karman (born in Hungary) became an American citizen a few years after he came to California to direct the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at Caltech. He was not only the first director of GALCIT, he later inaugurated the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Aerojet General Corp., the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, and the NATO Advisory Group on Aeronautical Research and Development.

Despite these heavy commitments, Von Karman published lavishly on such diverse subjects as columnar strength, fluid mechanics, and rocketry. The nation owes him a debt every time a space launch is ventured and every time commercial and military aircraft reach their destinations with speed and safety. Southern California is no less indebted to him for attracting aeronautical genius to Caltech, thus “force feeding” the aerospace industries of the region.

But most of all, Von Karman was literally beloved by colleagues, students, and friends from all walks of life. Humane, humorous, and self-effacing, his personal gifts equalled his intellectual qualities.

I hope those who knew Theodore von Karman, taught with him, or were taught by him, will act to restore the marker to his crypt.

MICHAEL H. GORN

Alexandria, VA.