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George Low

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For other people named George Low, seeGeorge Low (disambiguation).

George M. Low
George M. Low
4thDeputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
In office
December 3, 1969 – June 5, 1976
President
Administrator
Preceded byThomas O. Paine
Succeeded byAlan M. Lovelace
14th President ofRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
In office
Spring 1976 – July 17, 1984
Preceded byRichard J. Grosh
Succeeded byDaniel Berg
Personal details
Born(1926-06-10)June 10, 1926
Vienna,Austria
DiedJuly 17, 1984(1984-07-17)(aged 58)
Alma materRensselaer Polytechnic Institute(BS,MS)

George Michael Low(bornGeorg Michael Löw,June 10, 1926 – July 17, 1984) was an administrator atNASAand the 14th president of theRensselaer Polytechnic Institute.Low was one of the senior NASA officials who made decisions as manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office in theApollo programof crewed missions to the Moon.

Early life and education[edit]

Low was born nearVienna,Austria,to Artur and Gertrude Löw (née Burger),[1]who had a prosperous manufacturing business,[2]and was educated in private schools inSwitzerlandandEngland.[2]His father died in 1934. WhenNazi Germanyoccupied Austria in 1938, Low's family—beingJewish—emigrated to the United States.[3]In 1943, Low graduated fromForest Hills High Schoolin Forest Hills,New York,and enteredRensselaer Polytechnic Institute(RPI), where he joined theDelta Phifraternity.His college education was interrupted by theSecond World Warand from 1944 to 1946, he served in theUnited States Army.During his military service, he became anaturalizedAmerican citizen and legally changed his name to George Michael Low.

After military service, Low returned to RPI and received hisBachelor of Sciencedegree inaeronautical engineeringin 1948. He then worked atConvairinFort Worth, Texas,as a mathematician in an aerodynamics group. Low returned to RPI late in 1948 and received hisMaster of Sciencedegree in aeronautical engineering in 1950.

NACA and NASA career[edit]

At Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory[edit]

After completing his M.S. degree, Low joined theNational Advisory Committee for Aeronautics(NACA) as an engineer at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory inCleveland, Ohio,(later the Lewis Research Center and now theGlenn Research Center). He worked as the head of the Fluid Mechanics Section (1954–1956) and chief of the Special Projects Branch (1956–1958). Low specialized in experimental and theoretical research in the fields of heat transfer, boundary layer flows, and internal aerodynamics. In addition, he worked on such space technology problems as orbit calculations, reentry paths, and space rendezvous techniques.

NASA Goett Committee[edit]

During the summer and autumn of 1958, preceding the formation of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA), Low worked on a planning team to organize the new aerospace agency. Soon after NASA's formal organization in October 1958, Low transferred to the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he served as Chief of Manned Space Flight. In this capacity, he was closely involved in the planning of ProjectsMercury,Gemini,andApollo.Low played a critical role in advocating for a lunar landing as NASA's long-term goal. He testified before Congress, spoke to the media, and presented at industry conferences on behalf of NASA.[4]Low also formed the Low Committee in 1960, which produced a lunar landing feasibility study that played a role inJohn F. Kennedy's decision to set a goal of landing humans on the Moon by the end of the 1960s.[5]

Houston and the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office[edit]

In February 1964, Low transferred to NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center inHouston, Texas,(now theJohnson Space Center) and served as Deputy Center Director. In April 1967, following theApollo 1fire, he was named manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office (ASPO), where he was responsible for directing the changes to the Apollo spacecraft necessary to make it flightworthy. In this role he led the use of FMEA, orfailure mode and effects analysis,to rigorously define the possible risks in human space flight. Low also created and chaired the Configuration Control Board, which had as its purpose to monitor technical changes that could inadvertently affect some other part of the complex Apollo system, thereby helping assure future mission safety.[6]Flight DirectorGlynn Lunneypraised Low's leadership, and his contributions helped return the Apollo project schedule to the promised date for the Moon landing.

NASA Deputy Administrator[edit]

George Low became NASA deputy administrator in December 1969, serving with AdministratorsThomas O. PaineandJames C. Fletcher.He served as acting administrator after Paine's resignation. In these roles, Low played a significant part in the development of theSpace Shuttleprogram, theSkylabprogram, and theApollo-Soyuz Test Project.

Rocket engineerWernher von Braunblamed Low for what he felt was shabby treatment in the early 1970s while he was at NASA Headquarters. According to Bob Ward's 2005 biography, von Braun believed Low was jealous of his fame and that Low helped force von Braun's unhappy departure from the space agency.[7]However, another biography by space historianMichael J. Neufelddisputed Low's involvement in von Braun's resignation.[8]Low's biography byRichard Jurekalso disputes this account, indicating Low's efforts to try to retain and engage von Braun in strategic planning in the early 1970s and being pleased with von Braun's work.[9]

President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute[edit]

Retiring from NASA in 1976, Low became president of RPI. He held that position until his death in 1984. He initiated theRensselaer Technology Park.The New York State Center for Industrial Innovation was renamed theGeorge M. Low Center for Industrial Innovationby RPI shortly after his death.

Personal life[edit]

In 1949, Low married Mary Ruth McNamara ofTroy, New York.Between 1952 and 1963, they had five children: Mark S., Diane E.,George David,John M., and Nancy A. His sonDavidbecame anastronautfor NASA in 1985, flew three times on the Space Shuttle, and died in 2008.

On April 8, 1985, the White House announced that Low had been awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedomfor his contributions to the fields of education and science.[10]

In popular culture[edit]

In the 1996 TV movie,Apollo 11Low was played byDennis Lipscomb.In the 1998 miniseriesFrom the Earth to the Moonhe was played byHolmes Osborne.

References[edit]

  1. ^McQuaid (2007),p. 429.
  2. ^abMurray & Cox (1989),p. 228.
  3. ^McQuaid (2007),pp. 429–431.
  4. ^Jurek (2019a),pp. 39–40.
  5. ^Jurek (2019a),pp. 73–79.
  6. ^Jurek (2018).
  7. ^Ward (2005),p. 203.
  8. ^Neufeld (2007),pp. 456–457.
  9. ^Jurek (2019a),pp. 165–166.
  10. ^"Announcement of the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom".reaganlibrary.gov.April 8, 1985.RetrievedDecember 7,2022.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

Academic offices
Preceded by PresidentofRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1976–1984 		Succeeded by

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