Dr. George E. Mueller

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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Karen Hyvonen

The public knows Dr. George E. Mueller by such esteemed titles as "Father of the Space Shuttle Program" and "The Man Who Put Men on the Moon." We, his family, have also bestowed on him other distinguished titles, including those of a generous and loving "Dad," "Granddad," and "Great-Grandad," who has taught us each by his own example to pursue our dreams with steadfast commitment and creativity.

Dr. Mueller has spent more than five decades in the aerospace industry. He joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as the head of the Manned Space Flight Program in 1963; he was the leader of the Gemini, Apollo/Saturn, and other related programs; the originator of the Skylab, the first space station; and author of the guiding book, "An Integrated Program of Space Utilization and Exploration."

After leaving NASA, Dr. Mueller became senior vice president of General Dynamics Corporation (1969-1971), then senior vice president of System Development Corporation (1971-1983), and most recently he has served as the chief executive officer of Kistler Aerospace Corporation, an innovative company working to provide a low-cost alternative to single-use launch vehicles.

Dr. Mueller is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the National Medal of Science, three NASA Distinguished Service Medals, the American Society for Engineering Management's Engineering Manager of the Year -- 1998, the 2002 Rotary National Award of Space Achievement, and in 2003 he was elected one of Aviation Week's Top 100 Stars of Aerospace to commemorate the 100th anniversary of flight.

Dr. Mueller holds a B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla; an M.S.E.E. degree from Purdue University; and a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the Ohio State University. He is also the recipient of six honorary degrees. We greatly admire his compelling vision and his contagious enthusiasm about so many things in our world and beyond, and we love him dearly.