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Memorial Tributes Volume 19 (2015) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:

JAMES R. BURNETT
Pages 45-50

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From page 46...
... He joined the US Marine Corps and, based on his high school record, interests, and enlistment aptitude test, was placed in a Navy V-12 engineering program at Purdue University. Because the Navy could see the crucial operational importance of advances in electrical engineering and of the embryonic discipline of electronics to technologies such as radar and weapon control, they assigned him to an electrical engineering curriculum.
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From page 47...
... Knowing that associate professors needed to consult in the summer to survive, Whitford called Bob in the spring of 1956 and suggested he apply to consult at RW for the summer -- the company was doing work that needed just the kind of special disciplines that Bob had been evolving at Purdue. When Bob arrived at RW he found that they were providing systems engineering and technical support to the US Air Force on development of the ballistic missiles Atlas, Thor, and Titan.
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From page 48...
... Bob's training and superb skills enabled him to provide specific solutions to many critical missile control problems and to advance the systems engineering methodology. And his leadership skills contributed greatly to establishing the effectiveness and acceptability of a "technical direction" organization under contract to the Air Force's Ballistic Missile Command.
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From page 49...
... These included almost ten years as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Defense Intelligence Agency, chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Security Agency, member of the Defense Science Board, and chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel for the DOD Joint Strategic Targeting Group. After his retirement he remained active on advisory committees to elements of the government.
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From page 50...
... He loved spending time with everyone and hearing all about their adventures and experiences." Bob was an avid photographer all his life, and she recalls that "It was quite a feat to organize all of us and get us all in the annual Christmas picture." That was probably among his most enjoyable systems engineering and technical direction projects. Bob Burnett possessed a combination of technical background, enthusiasm, integrity, and leadership skills that made him a unique and major contributor to the success of the nation's crucial intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
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Key Terms

  • marine corps
  • ballistic missile
  • guided missile
  • bob graduated
  • ramo wooldridge

  • engineering division
  • entire academic
  • skills contributed
  • defense science
  • missiles atlas

  • fundamental decisions
  • direction responsibility
  • sciences capability
  • major gift
  • management discipline

  • total weapon
  • providing rocket
  • bob burnett
  • national task
  • work closely

  • defense intelligence
  • neering discipline
  • intelligence agency
  • strategic targeting
  • critical defense

  • ership skills
  • technical direction
  • computer engineering
  • james robert
  • complete guided


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