Robert Seamans

Robert Seamans graduated from Harvard in 1940 and received his graduate degrees at MIT, one in Aeronautics (1942) and the other in Instrumentation (1951). While studying, he taught at MIT and worked with Draper on tracking systems for Navy Ships. He left the IL to work at RCA and later the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

In 1960, Seamans joined NASA. He worked with the Department of Defense after becoming the Deputy Administrator in 1965. Nearly everyone at NASA reported to him and he was part of the team that decided to hire the Instrumentation Lab for the Apollo GNC system. Seamans retired from NASA in 1968 and taught classes at MIT before becoming the Secretary of the U.S. Air Force from 1960-1973. He continued his prolific career by becoming the president of the National Academy of Engineering, the administrator for the Energy Research and Development Administration, Dean of MIT’s School of Engineering, and joining the board of trustees for Aerospace Corp.