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Edward Curtis Wells

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Edward Curtis Wells
Born(1910-08-26)August 26, 1910
DiedJuly 1, 1986(1986-07-01) (aged 75)
EmployerBoeing Company

Edward Curtis Wells (August 26, 1910 – July 1, 1986) was senior vice president and served on the board of directors of Boeing Company.[1] He helped to design the Boeing 707, 747 and the B-17 Flying Fortress.[2][3] He was known as the "elder statesman of aviation".[4]

Biography

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Wells was born in Boise, Idaho, on August 26, 1910, and graduated from Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. He attended Willamette University for two years then attended Stanford University[4] where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1931 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in engineering.

Wells joined Boeing Company's engineering staff in 1931 and was named Boeing's chief engineer in 1943.[4][5]

He died on July 1, 1986, in Bellevue, Washington.[2]

Honors

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References

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  1. ^ Herman, Arthur. Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, pp. 291-6, 301-7, 332-3, Random House, New York, NY, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4000-6964-4.
  2. ^ a b "Edward C. Wells, 75, Designed Boeing 747". Associated Press in New York Newsday. July 4, 1986. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2011-11-15. Edward C. Wells, who for nearly a half-century helped designsome of the world's most famous aircraft, including the Boeing B-52and 747, died Tuesday at age 75.
  3. ^ Turner, Wallace (July 3, 1986). "Edward C. Wells, 75, is dead; key designer of B-17 bomber". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "Edward Curtis Wells, Medalist for 1980" (PDF). Daniel Guggenheim Medal. Retrieved 2011-11-16. The 'Elder Statesman of Aviation,' a title bestowed on him by the national Aeronautic Association, died in 1986 in Bellevue, Washington.
  5. ^ Herman, Arthur. Fredom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, pp. 291-6, Random House, New York, NY, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4000-6964-4.

Further reading

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  • Geer, Mary Wells. Boeing's Ed Wells. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1992. ISBN 0-295-97204-1.
  • Serling, Robert J. Legend & Legacy: The Story of Boeing and its People. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. ISBN 0-312-05890-X.