A. Dwight Abbott

Profile: Dwight Abbott's career in the space industry spanned the dawn of the space age. As a boy he was self-taught by book and experiment to design and build flying model airplanes, often achieving good success in competitions with older flyers. Dwight Abbott earned a B. S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering (1958) and an M. S. degree in Industrial Management (1965) from Purdue University. He was employed briefly by Northrop Corporation and Space Technology Laboratories before joining The Aerospace Corporation at its formation in 1960. The Aerospace Corporation provides space systems architectural, development, and engineering services to government and industry. Dwight Abbott held engineering and management positions in space systems planning, design, development, and evaluation. He retired from The Aerospace Corporation in 2000 as General Manager of Systems Engineering. He was appointed to the National Academy of Sciences Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board that reviews national issues in air and space and establishes study committees to provide recommended directions. He was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in which he participated actively for over 40 years. Not surprisingly, Dwight Abbott earned a private pilot's rating in 1959 and continues, as this museum is being built, to pursue the joys and challenges of flight.