Find an Honoree
  • Find an Honoree
  • Dr. F. William Nesline Jr.
  • Foil: 13 Panel: 3 Column: 3 Line: 45

    Wall of Honor Level:
    Air and Space Friend

    Honored by:
    Mr. Mark Nesline

    Dr. Nesline is honored for his many achievements and inventions in the field of guidance and control as it relates to aviation and space exploration. Dr. Nesline retired as the Chief Systems Engineer for Raytheon Company. Previously, he was also an Assistant Professor at MIT and was President of Applied Analysis Inc during his career. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland, a Un. M.Engr. and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University, and an MBA from Northeastern University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy during World War II.

    Dr. Nesline was the Director of Engineering for Raytheon's work on the Apollo Program in the 1960's. He has published 72 technical papers on guidance, control and missile design. He has taught courses in missile design in many countries. In 1986, Dr. Nesline was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). In 1991, he received the AIAA Mechanics & Control of Flight Award. The inscription on this award reads "For an outstanding recent technical or scientific contribution by an individual in the mechanics, guidance, or control of flight in space or the atmosphere to F. William Nesline, Jr. for outstanding leadership in pioneering the development of Observer Guidance, a unique approach to homing missile guidance that substantially increases the capability of U.S. naval and land forces to defend themselves against all types of modern air threats."

    In 1992, Dr. Nesline received the Thomas L. Phillips Award for Excellence in Technology from Raytheon Company. The inscription on this award reads "For developing a state of the art observer guidance system for homing missiles that compensates for lost seeker data in the event the radar signal is lost." In 1994, he also received the University of Maryland College of Engineering Centennial Medal.

    Dr. Nesline is married to Mary Hellstrom Nesline. He has three children and four grand children.

    Wall of Honor profiles are provided by the honoree or the donor who added their name to the Wall of Honor. The Museum cannot validate all facts contained in the profiles.

    Foil: 13

    Foil Image Coming Soon
    All foil images coming soon. View other foils on our Wall of Honor Flickr Gallery