Clifford C. Furnas

Clifford Cook Furnas (October 24, 1900 – April 27, 1969) was an author, Olympic athlete, scientist, expert on guided missiles, university president, and public servant. He was first cousin of the author Evangeline Walton.

Olympic career

• 1920 Olympic Games, Antwerp, Belgium^[1]
• 1922 Big 10 Conference Medal, for best combined scholastic and athletic record

Education

• 1922 B.S., with honors, Purdue University
• 1926 Ph.D., University of Michigan
• 1946 Honorary Doctor of Engineering, Purdue University
• 1957 Honorary Doctor of Engineering, University of Michigan
• 1958 Honorary Doctor of Laws, Alfred University
• 1960 Honorary Doctor of Science, Thiel College
• 1963 Degree Honoris Causa, University National de Asuncion

Academic career

• 1922-1924 Teacher of Mathematics, Shattuck School, Minnesota
• 1924-1925 Research Chemist with U.S. Steel Corporation
• 1926-1931 Physical Chemist with U.S. Bureau of Mines
• 1931-1941 Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Yale University
• 1941-1942 Technical aide at the National Defense Research Committee
• 1943-1946 Director of Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical Research Laboratory at Buffalo, New York
• 1946-1954 Director and Executive Vice President of Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory
• 1954-1962 Chancellor, University of Buffalo
• 1962-1966 President, State University of New York at Buffalo^[2]
• 1962-1966 President, Western New York Nuclear Research
• 1966-1969 President Emeritus, State University of New York at Buffalo

Government career

• 1952-1953 Chairman, Guided Missile Commission, Research and Development Board
• 1954-1957 Chairman, U.S. Department of Defense Advisory Panel on Aeronautics
• 1954-1969 Member, U.S. Army Science Advisory Panel
• 1955-1957 Member of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
• 1955-1957 Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Development
• 1956-1957 Chairman, Air Navigation Development Board
• 1957-1969 Member of the Defense Science Board
• 1958-1969 Member of the Naval Research Advisory Committee
• 1961-1965 Chairman of the Defense Science Board
• 1961-1969 Chairman, New York Advisory Council, Industrial Research and Development
• 1968-1969 Vice-Chairman, National Research Council

Publications

• 1932 America’s Tomorrow
• 1935 The Unfinished Business of Science
• 1936 The Next Hundred Years
• 1937 Man, Bread and Destiny
• 1937 Technological Trends and National Policy (section on metallurgy)
• 1939 The Storehouse of Civilization
• 1940 The Individual and the World
• 1940 Excerpts from Our Intellectual World Sections 9-13, Division II of The Individual and the World
• 1948 Research in Industry
• 1957 Sputnik. Why did the US lose the race? Critics speak up, Life Magazine, October 21, 1957
• 1966 The Engineer

References

1. ^ "Sports Reference/Olympic Sports". http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fu/clifford-furnas-1.html. 
2. ^ "University at Buffalo". http://library.buffalo.edu/archives/ubhistory/presidents.html. 

External links

• Clifford C. Furnas Collection, State University of New York at Buffalo
• Papers of Clifford C. Furnas, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

Academic offices
Preceded by T. R. McConnell	Chancellor of the University at Buffalo 1954 – 1962	Office abolished
New office	President of the University at Buffalo 1962 – 1966	Succeeded by Claude E. Puffer (acting)
Government offices
Preceded by Donald A. Quarles	Assistant Secretary of Defense (Research and Development) 1955 – 1957	Succeeded by Frank D. Newbury
Preceded by Howard P. Robertson	Chairman of the Defense Science Board 1961 – 1965	Succeeded by Robert L. Sproull

Persondata
Name	Furnas, Clifford C.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 24, 1900
Place of birth
Date of death	April 27, 1969
Place of death