Richard Gilman Folsom
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Richard Gilman Folsom (1907 – 1996) was an American
mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...
, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, and the twelfth president of
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...
. He also known as the 91st president of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...
in the year 1972–73.


Biography


Youth and education

Folsom was born on February 3, 1907, in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, to Harry Gilman Folsom and Mabel Hazard Folsom. In 1929, he married Carroll Grace Greene. He died on March 11, 1996, in Napa, CA. He received B.S., M.S. and P.h.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the
California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
(in 1928, 1929 and 1932, respectively). His Ph.D. thesis was entitled ''An experimental investigation of the phenomena produced by the highly turbulent flow of water past a series of sharp obstacles''.


Career in education and administration

In 1933, he became an instructor in mechanical engineering at the
University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...
, rising to full professor. From 1947 to 1953, he was chairman of the mechanical engineering department and from 1952 to 1953 he was also director of the mechanical engineering laboratories. From 1953 to 1958, he was director of the Engineering Research Institute at the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. In 1958, he was appointed president of Rensselaer. In 1960, the institute established a department of nuclear engineering. The institute also began to enroll women during this time. Previously, the institute had awarded degrees to only 69 women, the first being in 1945. In 1971, he retired from the presidency. In 1976, a new
library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
that had been started during his presidency was named in his honor. Considered one of America's top authorities in the theory and practice of fluid dynamics, he was involved in diverse research projects including food preservation by atomic energy, landing of supersonic aircraft, development of upper-atmosphere research, machining of tough metals, high-temperature metallurgy, acoustics, industrial air pollution and the building of structure to resist bomb blasts. During World War II he was instrumental in developing the landing vehicles used at Normandy and in the Pacific. His studies were published in numerous professional and technical journals, and he presented over 60 paper in the fields of mechanical and chemical engineering and higher education. During his career, he was advisor, consultant or board member for a variety of corporations and political entities as well as academic, technical, scientific and military institutions and organizations. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Society for Engineering Education. During his association with ASME, Folsom was an honorary director, president, Wright Lecturer, and Centennial Medallion Award recipient. Among his many awards, Folsom received a Navy Distinguished Service Award for engineering contributions and the Lamme Award from the American Society for Engineering Education.


Selected publications

* Folsom, Richard Gilman.
An experimental investigation of the phenomena produced by the highly turbulent flow of water past a series of sharp obstacles
'' Diss. California Institute of Technology, 1932.


References


External links


Richard Gilman Folsom
Office of the President at rpi.edu {{DEFAULTSORT:Folsom, Richard G. 1907 births 1996 deaths American mechanical engineers California Institute of Technology alumni University of Michigan faculty Presidents of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 20th-century American engineers Academics from California 20th-century American academics