Tommy 'Allen' Williams

Tommy "Allen" Williams was born April 3, 1934 in Carrolton, Georgia. He was the oldest of 9 children of Erby R. and Lucille Williams. He graduated from Alexandria High School in Alabama and joined the Army for three years. He received a BS in Mathematics and Physics from Jacksonville State University in 1960 and a MA in Mathematics from University of Alabama in 1964 while working for NASA in Huntsville, Alabama. He received Education Specialist Certificates from Georgia and Tennessee and taught mathematics and coached several sports teams in both states at the high school level and as adjunct faculty at several colleges.

As an Aerospace Engineer in the Aeroballistics Division of NASA from 1960 to 1964 he developed computer simulation software and conducted trajectory analyses and mission planning studies for the Atlas/Centaur, Saturn IB, and Saturn V launch vehicles. His team designed and implemented the on board guidance system software for Saturn IB and Saturn V (Apollo).
He worked for Chrysler Corporation Space Division in New Orleans from 1964 to 1967. In the position of Unit Chief, Preflight Trajectory Unit he supervised analysts who defined preflight trajectories and performed related analyses for the Saturn IB launch vehicle. The unit was responsible for development and exercising of complex computer simulations for trajectory analysis, mission planning, and specifications for on board system parameters for each Saturn IB launch.

He worked for Booz, Allen Applied Research providing technical support to the US Army in 1967-1968. As a senior Operations Research Analyst he provided scientific support to the Army Concept Team in Vietnam under contract to DOD in 1968-1970.

After several years of teaching, he joined the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation at Goddard Space Center in 1978 as a Supervisor Mathematician in the Advanced Analysis Section and in the BRTS Support Section in support of NASA tracking operations. As Assistant Manager, Network Control Center Operations, his group provided around-the-clock real-time interfaces for NASA satellite and group support stations. He retired from Bendix in 1989.

Tommy Allen died December 12, 2008 and is remembered lovingly by his wife, Sandra, children Chris, Wakenna, and Barbara, 7 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, 6 sisters and 2 brothers.