GEORGE M. LOW, 1976-1984, was President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) from June 7, 1976 to July 17, 1984.

George Wilhelm. Low was born in Vienna, Austria, on June 10, 1926. He later changed his name to George Michael Low. He came to the United States in 1940 and became a naturalized citizen in 1945. During World War II, he served in the U. S. Army from 1944 to 1946.

He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, receiving a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering degree in 1948, and a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering degree in 1950. In 1949 he married the former Mary Ruth McNamara of Troy, New York. And they had five children — Mark, Diane, David, John, and Nancy.

Professional Career

Mr. Low began his professional career by joining the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) as an Aeronautical Research Scientist in 1949. At the NACA's Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio (now NASA's Lewis Research Center), he specialized in experimental and theoretical research in the fields of heat transfer, boundary layer flows, and internal aerodynamics and published many reports in these fields. While at the Lewis facility, he was named Head of the Fluids Mechanics Section, and later, Chief of the Special Projects Branch.

In October 1958, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was organized, he transferred to its Headquarters in Washington as Chief of Manned Space Flight. In 1960 he was chairman of the special committee that formulated the original plans for the Apollo manned lunar landing. He later became Deputy Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight where he was responsible for the management of the Gemini and Apollo Programs and the field centers directly associated with those programs.

In February 1964 Low transferred to NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas, as Deputy Director. As the Center's general manager, he had overall responsibility for the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft efforts, as well as future program development, flight operations, and flight crew operations.

In April 1967, after the Apollo fire, he was named manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program. Under his leadership Apollo was redesigned and made flightworthy. To accelerate Apollo's timetable, he brought Apollo 8 into the program, as man's first flight to lunar orbit. Under his direction, five manned flights were flown, including Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in July 1969.

In December 1969 Low was appointed Deputy Administrator of NASA by the President. As NASA's "general manager" he had lead responsibility for internal activities, including planning, budgeting, financial, technical and program management, and procurement. He guided NASA in the transition to the new goals of the 1970s and beyond, provided leadership in the Space Shuttle planning, and negotiated the space agreements with the Soviet Union, which laid the foundation for the Apollo-Soyuz flight and other joint space projects. (He served as Acting Administrator of NASA from September 1970 to May 1971.)

On June 7, 1976, Low returned to his alma mater as its 14th President.

On July 16, 1984, the White House announced that Low had been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to education and the nation’s space program. He died of cancer on the following day. The New York State Center for Industrial Innovation was renamed the George M. Low Center for Industrial Innovation by RPI shortly after his death.

His son, G. David Low, became an astronaut for NASA in 1985.

Professional Activities, Honors and Awards

He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering (Council Member); Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, an Honorary Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; member of Sigma XI, Sigma Gamma Tau, and Tau Beta Pi Honor Societies; a Trustee of the Hartford Graduate Center and the Committee for Economic Development and a member of the Board of Directors of the General Electric Company. Mr. Low was also a member of the Presidential Commission on Industrial Competitiveness and was Chairman of the National Academy of Sciences/National Academy of Engineering/Institute of Medicine's Committee on Science, Engineering & Public Policy (COSEPUP). Mr. Low was Vice President of the Association of Colleges and Universities of the State of New York (ACUSNY). He holds a Professional Engineering license from the State of New York. Mr. Low was a member of the Explorers Club.

He has received the following Honorary Degrees:
Doctor of Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - 1969
Doctor of Science, University of Florida - 1969
Doctor of Engineering, Lehigh University - 1979
Doctor of Law, Hartwick College - 1981
Doctor of Humane Letters, Villanova University - 1982
Doctor of Science Honoris Causa, Albany Medical College - 1984

He also has received the following special honors:
- NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal in 1962 for his contributions to Project Mercury.
- Arthur S. Flemming Award (Ten Outstanding Young Men in Government) in 1963.
- American Astronautical Society Space Flight Award in acknowledgment of his contributions to the advancement of space flight and space science, 1963.
- Paul T. Johns Trophy from the Arnold Air Society for his outstanding contributions in aeronautics and astronautics, April 1969.
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal, for his contributions to the Apollo 8 manned lunar orbit mission in 1969.
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal, for his contributions to the success of the Apollo Program, October 1969.
- Louis W. Hill Space Transportation Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for his leadership role in bringing the Apollo program to fulfillment, October 1969.
- National Space Club Astronautics Engineer Award, for direction of the Apollo Spacecraft Program, March 1970.
- National Space Club's Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for great achievement in advancing space flight programs contributing to United States leadership in astronautics and space, March 1973.
- National Civil Service League's 1973 Career Service Award for Sustained Excellence as the person most responsible for the success of the Apollo program, May 1973.
- Rockefeller Public Service Award (for Administration) in recognition of distinguished service to the Government of the United States, and to the American people, December 1974.
- National Academy of Engineering Pounders Medal, for playing a central technical and management role in the U. S. Space Program, November 1978.
- Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, presented in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the area of space research and scientific progress, September 1980.
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal, for his contributions to the Space Shuttle Program, in 1981.
- American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) National Engineering Award, in recognition of his many contributions to mankind, May 1983.
- The University Foundation at Albany Citizen Laureate Award, given in recognition of his distinguished and sustained record of academic achievement, June 1983.
- "The Capital District Business Review" 1983 Executive of the Year, for his development of the Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush, New York, and for his fundraising campaigns and improvements at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
- The National Medal of Freedom and The National Medal of Science, awarded posthumously in 1985 by President Ronald Reagan