John Granville Wilder Jr.

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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Leader

Honored by:

John Wilder bought his first airplane ride in 1921 at age II with pennies saved from a paper route. He went on to design aircraft during WWII at Curtis Wright Aircraft Co. After the war, he led a team at Cornell University Aero Lab that developed the first transonic wind tunnel. From there he moved into Rocket Propulsion and was a key figure in the development of the Atlas, Titan and Thor intercontinental ballistic missile programs. At age 79, John is still an active pilot flying his 1950 vintage Bellanca Cruise Master.