David A. Peters, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, was installed as the first McDonnell Douglas Professor of Engineering Feb. 25 in a ceremony in Holmes Lounge.
In a memorable and moving presentation, Peters traced the history of aviation and university-aerospace industry cooperation, linking them with his family history and the growth of our nation. His talk, "Boomers, Bloomers and Zoomers," particularly focused on the stunning achievements in aviation and space exploration that occurred from the onset of the Baby Boomer generation and continues today, with careful attention to the roles both the McDonnell Douglas Corp. (now The Boeing Co.) and Washington University have played in the evolving epoch.
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The McDonnell Aircraft Co. and the Douglas Aircraft Co. merged in 1967 to form the McDonnell Douglas Corp., widely recognized as the world's leader in designing and producing fighter aircraft and a major player in space exploration, producing the Mercury and Gemini spacecraft that launched the first astronauts into earth's orbit.
The McDonnell family has a long history in supporting Washington University research. The founder of the McDonnell Aircraft Co., the late James S. McDonnell (1899-1980), first established a professorship in the space sciences in 1964, followed by the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences in 1975. He made many additional contributions, and the corporation also has given generously to other programs in the engineering school and the John M. Olin School of Business.
McDonnell's sons, John F. McDonnell and James S. McDonnell III, have followed their father in their careers and in their service to higher education.
Peters is widely recognized as an expert in design and analysis of rotary-wing aircraft. His theory of dynamic inflow is the world standard for wake modeling in rotorcraft dynamics and simulation. His continuing research on rotorcraft modeling and analysis has led to the publication of more than 180 papers, and he has supervised 50 master's and doctoral students.
"David Peters brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience to his position as the McDonnell Douglas Professor of Engineering," said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, who introduced John F. McDonnell at the installation ceremony. "His enthusiasm, vision and commitment will foster an enduring partnership between Washington University researchers and educators and the Boeing Co. and the aerospace industry."
In his presentation, Peters contrasted the rural, provincial life of his agrarian grandparents and their worldview with the aviation developments of the 20th century and the unknown possibilities that lie ahead for Peters' grandson, Daniel. Peters' grandmother, Laura Peters, died in 1996 at age 107. While his grandmother witnessed an extraordinary array of new technologies in her lifetime, she remained skeptical that the United States actually had landed men on the moon. "A man on the moon was more than my grandmother could absorb in her lifetime," Peters said.
In contrast, "If Daniel lives to be 107 years old, like his great-great grandmother, the year will be 2104, the 22nd century. What will the world be like then? Will it change as much in his lifetime as it did in his great-great grandmother's? Will he visit the moon on vacation, will there be colonies on Mars?"
Peters was working for McDonnell-Douglas in St. Louis when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon in July 1969. He recalled James S. McDonnell speaking to his employees over the intercom at work when the astronauts returned safely to Earth. When McDonnell praised McDonnell-Douglas employees for their role in making the feat possible, Peters had to choke back a few tears. "It was one of the most emotional moments of my career," he recalled. "We had placed human beings on the moon and returned them safely within JFK's decade, and we had beaten the Soviets in doing it!"
Peters received bachelor's and master's degrees in applied mechanics at the University in 1969 and 1970, respectively. He worked for McDonnell Astronautics Co. in St. Louis, working on several space vehicles, including NASA's Skylab. He also worked as a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in California. He received a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford University in 1974 and returned to Washington University in 1975 to begin his academic career as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, working up through the ranks and becoming department chair in 1982.
In 1985, Peters joined the Georgia Institute of Technology as professor of aerospace engineering in the Center of Excellence for Rotorcraft Technology. He became associate director of the center and the founding director of the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, a NASA-funded center.
He returned to Washington University as a professor of mechanical engineering in 1991, becoming director of the Center for Computational Mechanics in 1992 and then, once again, department chair in 1997. He remains an adjunct professor at Georgia Tech and associate director of their rotorcraft center.
