Mr. Kirchman received a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1942. He helped develop B-29 engines at Wright Aeronautical Company, and was part of the Titan 1 development team for the Martin Company. He was on several subcommittees for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). In 1959, Mr. Kirchman joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Goddard Space Flight Center, where he pioneered the field of structural testing. Many of the facilities that Mr. Kirchman developed are in use today, including one of the largest centrifuges for structural testing in the world.