Erik Martin Fehrm (8 March 1910 – 6 August 2001) was a Swedish engineer and civil servant. He was mainly active at the Swedish National Defence Research Institute (FOA), where he served as Director General from 1957 to 1968.

Early life

Fehrm was born on 8 March 1910 in Järna, Vansbro Municipality, Sweden, the son of Fritz Fehrm, a bookseller, and his wife Klara (née Matsson). He passed ''studentexamen'' in Falun and initiated studies at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, from which he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1932.

Career

With a keen interest in radio technology, he received the following year employment at the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration. In 1940, Fehrm came as a 3rd degree flight engineer to the Royal Swedish Air Force Materiel Administration, where he would stay until the war was over. During the war years he developed into an expert on eco-radio and participated actively in the special working group that had been created for the area within the Swedish Board of Inventions (''Statens uppfinnarnämnd''). His expertise was also used for the investigation of advanced military equipment, which ended in the country crashed airplane or in any other way, for example the Sweden during World War II#The Bäckebo rocket, Bäckebo rocket. Fehrm became 2nd degree flight engineer in 1942. Fehrm was head of department at the Swedish National Defence Research Institute (FOA) from 1945 to 1957 when he was appointed Director General of FOA. Fehrm held this post until 1968. He was then Director General of the National Swedish Board for Technical Development (''Styrelsen för teknisk utveckling'', STU) from 1968 to 1971. He became a member of the National Board of the Swedish Institutes of Technology (''Överstyrelsen för de tekniska högskolorna'') in 1959. Fehrm was chairman of the Swedish Natural Science Research Council (''Statens naturvetenskapliga forskningsråd'') from 1965 to 1977, and the ''Stamnätsnämnden'' from 1966 to 1985. He was a member of the Swedish Government Research Advisory Board (''Forskningsberedningen'') from 1962 to 1978, the ''Miljövårdsberedningen'' from 1968 to 1977, and the Swedish Transport Research Delegation (''Transportforskningsdelegationen'') from 1971 to 1982. Furthermore, Fehrm was chairman of the board of the AB Atomenergi from 1969 to 1976, chairman of the Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers (''Svenska Teknologföreningen'', SvTF) from 1972 to 1973, and 1st vice chairman of the Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers (''Sveriges civilingenjörsförbund'') from 1974 to 1977.

Personal life

He was married to Ragna Fägersten (born 1912), the daughter of Helge Fägersten and Signe Janzon.

Awards and decorations

Order_of_the_Polar_Star_-_Ribbon_bar,_pre_1975

Commander First Class of the Order of the Polar Star * SWE_Order_of_Vasa_-_Knight_2nd_Class_BAR

Knight of the Order of Vasa * For_Zealous_and_Devoted_Service_of_the_Realm_ribbon

Illis quorum, 12th size (1977)

Honours

*Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1949) *Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1958) *Technical honorary doctor, Chalmers University of Technology (1963)

Bibliography

* * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fehrm, Martin 1910 births 2001 deaths Swedish electrical engineers 20th-century Swedish engineers Swedish civil servants Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences KTH Royal Institute of Technology alumni Commanders First Class of the Order of the Polar Star Knights of the Order of Vasa People from Vansbro Municipality Recipients of the Illis quorum