Professor named to new endowed engineering chair
April 14, 2009
STARKVILLE, Miss.—A recent agreement will provide funding for the first Bagley College of Engineering (BCoE) endowed chair specifically for aerospace engineering.
The Richard H. Johnson Endowed Chair in Aerospace Engineering aims to help retain and recruit faculty who contribute to research in aerospace engineering. Department head Dr. Tony Vizzini announced Dr. James C. Newman Jr. as the inaugural holder of the new, endowed chair.
“Dick Johnson was a world class soaring champion who set records for flight endurance and distance, making it a fitting tribute that the endowed chair that bears his name is a first for the department,” Vizzini said. “I am so grateful for this endowment, which will allow us to honor individuals such as Dr. Newman, a globally recognized icon in the area of aging aircraft.”
Newman joined the BCoE faculty in 2001, after spending 37-years at the NASA Langley Research Center. During his time with NASA he received numerous honors for engineering achievement while working with international organizations, such as the NATO Advisory Group for Aeronautical Research and Development to advance and share his research. Recently, he was named an honorary member of Germany’s society for material research and testing.
“Receiving this honor was a really big surprise, but I am truly honored to be the inaugural recipient of the Richard H. Johnson Chair in Aerospace Engineering,” Newman said. “It is the dream of any professor to hold such an honored chair and very rewarding personally after 45 years of research and teaching.”
Funded by the Johnson family, the endowed chair was created in honor of its namesake, the late Richard H. “Dick” Johnson. With a love for aviation, Johnson taught himself to fly at age 15, and placed in a U.S. gliding championship two years later. He served as a glider instructor in World War II before earning his undergraduate degree from Mississippi State in 1952.
Johnson worked professionally as an aircraft developer for many companies, but his passion was always soaring. He won 11 U.S. national championships, set a world gliding distance record, published more than 100 articles and throughout his life, endeavored to support and encourage flight enthusiasts.
For more information about aerospace engineering at Mississippi State, contact Dr. Tony Vizzini. Information about sponsored gifts in the BCoE can be obtained by contacting development director Bennett Evans.