		Professor Emeritus Harold C. Larsen Harold C. Larsen was born on 15 June 1918 at Granite, Utah, and grew up on a wheat farm. His early education was obtained in the Salt Lake City school system, and was followed by attendance at the University of Utah, 1935 to 1941. He earned the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering, with an aeronautical option and a minor in electrical engineering, and a reserve commission in the US Army through ROTC. Following graduation, he took a position in June of 1941 with Lockheed Aircraft, Burbank, California, as a production engineer, and remained until he received orders to active duty on December 8, 1941. In January 1942 he reported for duty at Camp Seely, CA with assignment to the 75th field artillery battalion (horse drawn). In April, the unit was motorized, and, after training for combat in the African desert, was sent to Alaska. Two months later, Lt. Larsen was assigned to the Army Air Corps for field maintenance duty. Later assignments in maintenance included P39 aircraft, at Victorville, and P40 aircraft, at Luke. He applied for admission to the engineering school at Wright Field, arrived for the first offering of the six-month course, and was in attendance through both VE and VJ days. Upon graduation in September of 1945, he was selected to attend the California Institute of Technology, from which he earned the MS in Aero in 1946, having taken additional material in physics, nuclear physics, and propulsion. On 22 June 1946 he returned to the Engineering School, which was then being reorganized under the direction of Ezra Kotcher. He became the fifth member of the faculty, joining Paul H. Kiester, Capt. Daniel H. Dailey, Herbert F. Marco, and LaVerne F. Lewis. Within the next week, four more were added: Lt. Warren Giedt, and Professors James E. Broadwell, C. Ray Wylie, and Albert B. Carson. Larsen began teaching aircraft design, after working with Dan Dailey and Warren Giedt in the design of the aeronautical curriculum. Larsen became a civilian employee of AFIT as an Assistant Professor on 22 June 1949, and was promoted to Associate Professor on 18 March 1951. From 1947 to 1953, Professor Larsen completed extensive work in the Ohio State graduate program conducted at Wright Field, and in 1954 was sent back to Cal Tech for further study. Following nine months of course work and examinations, he earned the AE degree and returned to the Engineering School. In 1955, Professor Graetzer, who had served as head of the Aeronautical Engineering department, was named as Dean, and Larsen replaced him as acting head of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering. On 18 August 1957, he was promoted to Professor, and named the permanent head. Research and consulting in support of Air Force requirements developed at AFIT along with the instructional mission. Some of the early activities that engaged Professor Larsen were cruise control, aircraft production, aircraft accident rates, procurement systems, and the design of supersonic fighters, jet propelled tankers, and long range reconnaissance aircraft. When the five-foot wind tunnel was transferred to AFIT around 1960, Professor Larsen engaged in conducting testing for other agencies. He was especially active in the design of the Counter Insurgency Aircraft (COIN) and in the development of high altitude air sampling systems. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics published results of both of these activities. Professor Larsen also engaged in and reported on classified research. During his fifteen years of service as head of Aeronautical Engineering, Professor Larsen led his department in the transition from a predominantly undergraduate activity to a totally graduate department offering doctoral course work and research. When the Aerospace Design Center was created in 1970, Professor Larsen was named as Director, and given responsibility for the operation of all AFIT wind tunnels, and for all aircraft design work at the Institute. Among the numerous projects in which Larsen assisted Air Force offices were: the cylogyro aircraft, aircraft gust measurements, cruise missile carriers, hypersonic aircraft, the A- 10 gun gas ingestion problem, low-observable aircraft, space capsule recovery and transport systems, airborne lasers, and aircraft fuel tanks. Other agencies also benefited from Larsen's work at the Aerospace Design Center on such projects as power generation through windmills (Department of Energy), anemometer calibration (Department of Agriculture), transportable wind indicators (Central Intelligence Agency), and radar vibratory environments (US Army). During one 24 month period, a total of 23 distinct consulting activities were undertaken by Professor Larsen at the Design Center, many of which extended over several months. About 20% of these studies required experimental data obtained with AFIT facilities. With the restoration of undergraduate programs to the Institute in 1980, Professor Larsen's instructional expertise in the wind tunnel testing and aircraft design were again required, and he provided courses fundamental to the new curriculum. The integration of the staff and facilities of the Aerospace Design Center into the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1982 expedited these efforts. Professor Larsen then continued his extensive consulting program, along with teaching, until his retirement in December of 1983 after 37 1/2 years on the AFIT faculty. Throughout his career, Professor Larsen was continually and extensively sought as an expert consultant to research and development programs by a variety of organizations within the Air Force and the DOD, and by civilian organizations, both industrial and educational. In these activities, he successfully applied the results of his own research, results from experimental programs of his design, and his extensive knowledge of the literature. His contributions were an on-going and essential part of the advances achieved in the discipline of aerospace engineering for nearly four decades. During this time, he also served the Air Force Institute of Technology well through course and curriculum development, student guidance, instruction, and administration. His support of other organizations through research, consulting, and test program development enhanced the image of the Institute while advancing the mission of other organizations. His achievements were recognized though election to membership in Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Pi. He was also presented with the Meritorious Service Award, with medal, and was the recipient of the Sustained Superior Performance Award. Some quotations from student evaluations of Professor Larsen's last year in the classroom characterize well his entire career as an educator: "Good, disgustingly detailed, handouts!"; "Any meeting with Prof Larsen leaves you unprepared, but that's what makes it worthwhile.", "I can't imagine a more qualified person to teach such a course (aircraft design). Prof Larsen not only can teach the material, but relates a lot to his own vast experience."; "Larsen is probably the best lab instructor I've ever had -- and I've had quite a few. "; "He knows experimental aerodynamics, and is able to communicate this knowledge in an understandable, helpful, manner. He is always ready to explain anything we have questions on." Professor Larsen died on 19 October 1998, preceded in death by his wife, Caroline, and survived by his daughter, Kristine Larsen Slonaker, and sons, Robert and John, a son-in-law, Lloyd Slonaker, and one grandchild.

Professor Emeritus Harold C. Larsen

Harold C. Larsen was born on 15 June 1918 at Granite, Utah, and grew up on a wheat farm. His early education was obtained in the Salt Lake City school system, and was followed by attendance at the University of Utah, 1935 to 1941. He earned the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering, with an aeronautical option and a minor in electrical engineering, and a reserve commission in the US Army through ROTC. Following graduation, he took a position in June of 1941 with Lockheed Aircraft, Burbank, California, as a production engineer, and remained until he received orders to active duty on December 8, 1941.

In January 1942 he reported for duty at Camp Seely, CA with assignment to the 75th field artillery battalion (horse drawn). In April, the unit was motorized, and, after training for combat in the African desert, was sent to Alaska. Two months later, Lt. Larsen was assigned to the Army Air Corps for field maintenance duty. Later assignments in maintenance included P39 aircraft, at Victorville, and P40 aircraft, at Luke. He applied for admission to the engineering school at Wright Field, arrived for the first offering of the six-month course, and was in attendance through both VE and VJ days. Upon graduation in September of 1945, he was selected to attend the California Institute of Technology, from which he earned the MS in Aero in 1946, having taken additional material in physics, nuclear physics, and propulsion.

On 22 June 1946 he returned to the Engineering School, which was then being reorganized under the direction of Ezra Kotcher. He became the fifth member of the faculty, joining Paul H. Kiester, Capt. Daniel H. Dailey, Herbert F. Marco, and LaVerne F. Lewis. Within the next week, four more were added: Lt. Warren Giedt, and Professors James E. Broadwell, C. Ray Wylie, and Albert B. Carson. Larsen began teaching aircraft design, after working with Dan Dailey and Warren Giedt in the design of the aeronautical curriculum. Larsen became a civilian employee of AFIT as an Assistant Professor on 22 June 1949, and was promoted to Associate Professor on 18 March 1951.

From 1947 to 1953, Professor Larsen completed extensive work in the Ohio State graduate program conducted at Wright Field, and in 1954 was sent back to Cal Tech for further study. Following nine months of course work and examinations, he earned the AE degree and returned to the Engineering School. In 1955, Professor Graetzer, who had served as head of the Aeronautical Engineering department, was named as Dean, and Larsen replaced him as acting head of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering. On 18 August 1957, he was promoted to Professor, and named the permanent head.

Research and consulting in support of Air Force requirements developed at AFIT along with the instructional mission. Some of the early activities that engaged Professor Larsen were cruise control, aircraft production, aircraft accident rates, procurement systems, and the design of supersonic fighters, jet propelled tankers, and long range reconnaissance aircraft. When the five-foot wind tunnel was transferred to AFIT around 1960, Professor Larsen engaged in conducting testing for other agencies. He was especially active in the design of the Counter Insurgency Aircraft (COIN) and in the development of high altitude air sampling systems. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics published results of both of these activities. Professor Larsen also engaged in and reported on classified research.

During his fifteen years of service as head of Aeronautical Engineering, Professor Larsen led his department in the transition from a predominantly undergraduate activity to a totally graduate department offering doctoral course work and research.

When the Aerospace Design Center was created in 1970, Professor Larsen was named as Director, and given responsibility for the operation of all AFIT wind tunnels, and for all aircraft design work at the Institute. Among the numerous projects in which Larsen assisted Air Force offices were: the cylogyro aircraft, aircraft gust measurements, cruise missile carriers, hypersonic aircraft, the A- 10 gun gas ingestion problem, low-observable aircraft, space capsule recovery and transport systems, airborne lasers, and aircraft fuel tanks. Other agencies also benefited from Larsen's work at the Aerospace Design Center on such projects as power generation through windmills (Department of Energy), anemometer calibration (Department of Agriculture), transportable wind indicators (Central Intelligence Agency), and radar vibratory environments (US Army). During one 24 month period, a total of 23 distinct consulting activities were undertaken by Professor Larsen at the Design Center, many of which extended over several months. About 20% of these studies required experimental data obtained with AFIT facilities.

With the restoration of undergraduate programs to the Institute in 1980, Professor Larsen's instructional expertise in the wind tunnel testing and aircraft design were again required, and he provided courses fundamental to the new curriculum. The integration of the staff and facilities of the Aerospace Design Center into the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1982 expedited these efforts. Professor Larsen then continued his extensive consulting program, along with teaching, until his retirement in December of 1983 after 37 1/2 years on the AFIT faculty.

Throughout his career, Professor Larsen was continually and extensively sought as an expert consultant to research and development programs by a variety of organizations within the Air Force and the DOD, and by civilian organizations, both industrial and educational. In these activities, he successfully applied the results of his own research, results from experimental programs of his design, and his extensive knowledge of the literature. His contributions were an on-going and essential part of the advances achieved in the discipline of aerospace engineering for nearly four decades. During this time, he also served the Air Force Institute of Technology well through course and curriculum development, student guidance, instruction, and administration. His support of other organizations through research, consulting, and test program development enhanced the image of the Institute while advancing the mission of other organizations. His achievements were recognized though election to membership in Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Pi. He was also presented with the Meritorious Service Award, with medal, and was the recipient of the Sustained Superior Performance Award.

Some quotations from student evaluations of Professor Larsen's last year in the classroom characterize well his entire career as an educator: "Good, disgustingly detailed, handouts!"; "Any meeting with Prof Larsen leaves you unprepared, but that's what makes it worthwhile.", "I can't imagine a more qualified person to teach such a course (aircraft design). Prof Larsen not only can teach the material, but relates a lot to his own vast experience."; "Larsen is probably the best lab instructor I've ever had -- and I've had quite a few. "; "He knows experimental aerodynamics, and is able to communicate this knowledge in an understandable, helpful, manner. He is always ready to explain anything we have questions on."

Professor Larsen died on 19 October 1998, preceded in death by his wife, Caroline, and survived by his daughter, Kristine Larsen Slonaker, and sons, Robert and John, a son-in-law, Lloyd Slonaker, and one grandchild.