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Gift honors
Courtland Perkins
Courtland Perkins, former chairman of the
mechanical and aerospace engineering department, is honored
by a gift made in his name by Phil Condit *65.
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Phil Condit *65, chairman, president, and chief executive
officer of the Boeing Co., honored Courtland D. Perkins
by making a $250,000 gift to the department of mechanical and
aerospace engineering (MAE) in the name of his thesis adviser.
The gift was announced in November at the National Academy of
Engineering in Washington as part of a reception honoring Professor
Perkins.
Professor Perkins served on the Princeton University faculty
from 1946 to 1974 and was chairman of the aeronautical engineering
department from 1951 to 1974. It was under his leadership
that the MAE department was formed. He helped create one of
the most recognized flight dynamics research programs in the
world.
Professor Perkins was the founding president of the National
Academy of Engineering, a post he accepted after leaving Princeton.
"Phil wanted to single out our hands-on design course
work," said Alexander Smits, chairman of MAE.
"It's essential for engineers to be able to design, build,
and market their ideas. Our design courses provide valuable,
practical experience for engineers."
| David Hazen '48 *49, center,
and wife MaryAnn chat
with Earl Dowell, former professor of
mechanical and aerospace engineering.
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Mr. Condit credits Professor Perkins with shaping his professional
life.
"Court was a tremendous influence on my life,"
Mr. Condit said. "He was the reason that I attended Princeton.
He called me personally, described the Princeton program,
and as a result I chose Princeton for graduate school."
Professor Perkins was Mr. Condit's adviser.
"Court had a Monday afternoon seminar that was about
how things really got done," Mr. Condit recalled. "Every
session was filled with practical information that still has
an influence on me. When the time came to make a decision
between going on for a Ph.D. or going to industry, he said,
'You need to go make things.' He was right and is the reason
I ended up at Boeing."
Mr. Condit said Professor Perkins was clearly a "hands
on" engineer with a wonderful grasp of how things worked--not
just technical issues, but practical, human issues.
"He was a great teacher and a friend," Mr. Condit
said. "A true friend is a rare and valuable person."
Attending the Washington
ceremony announcing Phil Condit's *65 gift to honor Courtland
Perkins are, from left, Alexander Smits, chairman of the
mechanical and aerospace engineering department; Courtland
Perkins, former chairman of the department; and Mr. Condit,
who earned his master's degree in MAE.
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Mr. Condit earned his master's degree from Princeton in 1965
and a master's in management from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology in 1975. He joined Boeing in 1965 as an aerodynamics
engineer and held a number of positions of increasing responsibility
before being named president and a member of the board of
directors in August 1992. He was named chief executive officer
and chairman in 1996.
"This lasting tribute recognizes Professor Perkins'
contributions as an educator and honors his philosophy as
well, particularly his orientation toward engineering practice
and response to industry needs," Professor Smits said.
Mr. Condit's gift qualifies for Wu Challenge matching funds,
bringing the gift total to $375,000.
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