‘Father of the 737’
Richard W. “Dick” Taylor received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1942. As a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) student, Taylor went directly into service in the Army during World War II, seeing combat during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, in 1946, he was hired by The Boeing Company, where he became an aviation legend over the next 50 years. Taylor served Boeing in various roles, including airplane designer; test pilot (including for the B-47 Stratojet, the first large, swept-wing jet-powered plane); aerospace executive; and consultant. He played a pivotal role in developing the 737 aircraft as Boeing’s director of engineering. Additionally, he led the certification of a Two-Person Flight Crew and was instrumental in development of extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS). Taylor retired in 1991 as a Boeing vice president but was an active pilot for 70 years, making his final flight in December 2014 at 93. Purdue recognized Taylor with an honorary doctorate in 1973 and an Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award in 1999.