Clarence Johnson
Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson (
November 27,
1910 -
December 21,
1990) was an aircraft engineer and aeronautical innovator with
Lockheed who played a leading role in the design of more than forty aircraft.
Johnson was born in the remote mining town of Ishpeming, Michigan, to immigrant Swedish parents. He designed his first aircraft, for which he won a prize, before he was thirteen. He worked his way through school, first at Flint Junior College, and then at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Johnson, with a master's degree under his belt, joined the Lockheed Company in 1933 as a tool designer at a salary of $83 a month. After assignments as flight test engineer, stress analyst, aerodynamicist, weight engineer, he became chief research engineer in 1938. In 1952, Johnson was named chief engineer of Lockheed's Burbank, California plant which later became the Lockheed-California Company. In 1956 he was chosen for the post of Vice President of Research and Development.
He became Vice President of Advanced Development Projects (ADP) in 1958. The first ADP offices were nearly uninhabitable; the stench from a nearby plastic factory was so vile one of the engineers began answering the phone "skonk works!" (Big Barnsmell's Skonk Works -- spelled with an "o" -- was where Kickapoo Joy Juice was brewed in the comic strip "L'il Abner by Al Capp.)
However, his team delivered "Lulu Belle," the prototype for the P-80 Shooting Star, in only 143 days, more than a month ahead of schedule.
He joined the board of directors in 1964 and became a senior vice president of the corporation in 1969. He officially retired from Lockheed in 1975 but continued as a consultant at the Skunk Works. Kelly left the Board of Directors in 1980. In June of 1983, the Lockheed Rye Canyon Research facility was renamed Kelly Johnson Research and Development Center, Lockheed-California Company, in his honor for 50 years of service to Lockheed.
Kelly Johnson was first married to Althea Louise Young in 1937, who died in December 1969. His second marriage was in May 1971, to MaryEllen Elberta Meade of New York, who died on October 13, 1980, at 38 years old. Johnson then married Nancy Powers Horrigan in November, 1980.
Johnson died at the age of 80 at St Joseph Medical Center after an illness of many years. He is buried at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California.
Kelly Johnson contributed to the design of the following aircraft:
External Link
In the News
Observing Einstein's Gravitational Waves
A hundred years ago, Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity. The joint ESA-NASA "LISA"mission hopes to detect gravitational waves in space. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, whose launch is envisaged for 2013, will use laser interferometers - very sensitive tools to measure tiny variations in the distance between objects -- and proof masses on board three spacecraft flying in formation. Lifestyle Changes Effective In Protecting Against Type II Diabetes
Changing to a healthier lifestyle appears to be at least as effective as taking prescription drugs in reducing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, says a new British Medical Journal study. Type 2 diabetes is a growing problem -- in England around 1.3 million people have diabetes and around five percent of total NHS resources are used for the care of people with diabetes. Neutron Scatter Camera Detects Shielded Radiation To Find Smuggled Nuc
In an effort to find an answer to the problem of identifying smuggled special nuclear material, researchers say a neutron scatter camera they are developing may be able to detect radiation from much greater distances and through more shielding than current detection instruments. Lake-Friendly Gardening: Tips for Homeowners Living in the Lake Whatco
Information about gardening methods that avoid water pollution for those living in the Lake Whatcom watershed, the source of drinking water for thousands of people in Washington state. Includes information about creating riparian buffers, soil and lawn care, turf alternatives, pest management, and resistant plants. From Washington State University Cooperative Extension, Whatcom County Water Resources, and the Lake Whatcom Management Program. Wired Test 2007: A Classic Staple of '70s Life — The Polaroid SX-
Before digital banished those bad memories, there was Polaroid, whose SX-70 was the first mainstream instant camera to develop photos with no chemical bath — or film-peeling — required. Bruins Security in Ruins
Hackers got into a database containing the Social Security numbers of800,000 UCLA alumni, current students and employees. Congressman asksis it time for a federal data breach yet? In 27B Stroke 6. Discovering An Ecosystem Beneath A Collapsed Antarctic Ice Shelf
The chance discovery of a vast ecosystem beneath the collapsed Larsen Ice Shelf will allow scientists to explore the uncharted life below Antarctica's floating ice shelves and further probe the origins of life in extreme environments. Researchers discovered the sunless habitat after a recent underwater video study examining a deep glacial trough in the northwestern Weddell Sea following the sudden Larsen B shelf collapse in 2002. Independent Inquiry Committee Into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Pro
This committee's purpose is to "collect and examine information relating to the administration and management of the [United Nations] Oil-for-Food Programme, including allegations of fraud and corruption on the part of United Nations officials, personnel and agents, as well as contractors."The website contains documents issued by the committee discussing the management of the program, a FAQ about the committee, and related material about this UN humanitarian relief program in Iraq. [Scary] Pregnant woman says 'maternal instinct' helped her kill attack
FORT MITCHELL, Ky. - A pregnant woman who killed her attacker said a maternal instinct helped her fight off the woman who investigators believe was after her unborn child."I do believe that I fought harder because it was for my child,"Sarah Brady told ABC's "Good Morning America"in interviews aired Sunday and Monday. "It is a maternal instinct to protect your child to the very end."Katherine Smith, 22, died Thursday after luring Brady to her apartment to pick up a package supposedly delivered to the wrong address. When Smith pulled out a knife and attacked the pregnant woman, Brady fought back, striking Smith on the head with an ash tray and stabbing her three times with her own knife, police said. Brady, 26, said she didn't know Smith before the two met at Smith's apartment and can't be certain why Smith wanted to kill her."I really am not sure what was going through her mind,"Brady told ABC. "The only thing I thought was that she was going to kill me and my child and that is the only thing that ran through my mind." Top 100 Undiscovered Websites
PC Magazine "picks for the top new or under-the-radar sites of 2007."Includes annotated links to sites in areas of reference, health and food, lifestyle and entertainment, money and career, music, news, reading, shopping and travel, technology, and video. From PC Magazine.
MP3 Music Downloads
Preview songs, Download Free Music,Burn CDs at ITunes.com
 
|
