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This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy...
This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy carries out the responsibilities for which it was established in 1964.
Under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering was formed as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. Members are elected on the basis of significant contributions to engineering theory and practice and to the literature of engineering or on the basis of demonstrated unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology. The National Academies share a responsibility to advise the federal government on matters of science and technology. The expertise and credibility that the National Academy of Engineering brings to that task stem directly from the abilities, interests, and achievements of our members and international members, our colleagues and friends, whose special gifts we remember in this book.
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BY JOHN L. JUNKINS AND EARL H. DOWELL
HYMAN NORMAN ABRAMSON was born March 4, 1926, in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Nathan and Pearl Abramson. Norman was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and a true friend to many. He grew up in the San Antonio area, and while the city remained his home base, his career had a global impact. He was a remarkably accomplished and influential engineer whose amazing life mattered deeply to his family, friends, profession, and the country he loved. Norman passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in San Antonio on Dec. 19, 2022.
He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 1950, an M.S. in engineering mechanics from the University of Texas, Austin in 1952, and a doctorate from the same institution in 1956. After completing his Ph.D., he joined the aeronautical engineering faculty at Texas A&M University but left two years later to join the newly established Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio. As an extraordinary engineer and scientist, he held various leadership roles, culminating in his service as executive vice president. Norm played a transformative role in building and executing SwRI’s internationally recognized research program. His technical expertise and visionary leadership were vital in helping SwRI grow from a small startup with three dozen employees in the 1950s to a premier national laboratory with more than 3,000 staff members today.
His deep technical expertise in theoretical and applied mechanics, especially in solving critical engineering challenges, formed the foundation of his work from the late 1950s through the mid-1970s. He was widely recognized for his diverse technical contributions in aeronautics and astronautics. In the mid-1960s, Norm led a team at SwRI that modeled liquid propellant rockets, focusing on nonlinear fluid-structure interaction and propellant slosh dynamics. His work included both analytical and experimental studies that influenced military programs and helped design anti-slosh devices for NASA rockets. The potentially unstable coupling of nondeterministic disturbances — arising from propulsion, vehicle vibration, and turbulent wind interactions — posed urgent multiphysics challenges to enable feasible designs. His research resulted in critical innovations in analysis, computation, experimentation, and design, which helped overcome major stability issues for the Saturn launch vehicles.
Beyond aerospace, he became internationally recognized for his work in ship structural analysis, dynamics, and hydroelasticity. In addition to leading and mentoring engineering and scientific teams, he was an active technical contributor, driving research and development advancements.
Perhaps his most enduring research contributions were in fluid dynamics. His expertise led to the publication of two widely respected textbooks, The Dynamic Behavior of Liquids in Moving Containers, with Applications to Space Vehicle Technology (NASA, 1966) and An Introduction to the Dynamics of Airplanes (Dover Publications, 1971). He also led system-level transportation studies and conducted classified research in nuclear science. His extensive body of work includes 75 publications.
Norm’s leadership extended beyond his research. He held volunteer roles in numerous professional organizations and national committees. Known for his warm personality and legendary ability to speak candidly without being confrontational, he was respected for his insight and integrity. He was drawn to difficult, unsolved problems, especially those critical to mission success. From the 1950s until his retirement in the early 2000s, his technical acumen, engaging personality, courage to “call it like he sees it,” and leadership made lasting impacts on national programs and the research conducted at SwRI.
His professional achievements were internationally recognized. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 1976 and served on the NAE Council from 1984 to 1990. He was an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and an honorary member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Among his many honors, he was the first person to receive the 1988 Ted Belytschko Applied Mechanics Award (later renamed the ASME Applied Mechanics Award), the 1999 ASME Medal (the organization’s highest honor) — and he also received the ASME Centennial Silver Medal. He was a fellow in several other societies, and he also chaired multiple studies for the National Research Council, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Defense and served on several advisory panels and boards, including the Advisory Board of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University.
Outside of his professional life, Norm had a passion for travel and adventure. Skiing in the Colorado mountains with his wife, Idelle, his son, Mark, daughter-in-law, and grandsons for more than 35 years was one of his greatest joys. He and Idelle traveled the world on more than 30 international trips, making lifelong friends and sharing their stories of the wonders of the world. Together, they were accomplished ballroom dancers, dazzling audiences at NAE galas with their waltz, quick-step, and salsa performances. Even in their 80s, their skill and elegance on the dance floor captivated onlookers. But their warmth extended far beyond the dance floor — it was evident to all who knew them that the deep, enduring love at the heart of their 70-year marriage was truly inspirational. Norm was known for his warmth and compassion, his genuine concern for others, and the ever-present twinkle in his eye. He was an amazing man who considered himself deeply blessed with a distinguished career, a beautiful loving family, and cherished friendships.
Norm will be remembered fondly by his family and friends. He is survived by his sons, Phillip and Mark; daughters-in-law, Lisa and Marilyn; grandsons, David and Joshua, and their wives, Lisa and Lynn; great-grandchildren, Noah, Samantha, Lauren, Owen, and Cooper; sisters-in-law, Susie Abramson and Chickie Rose; and companion Helene Merren. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Idelle Reva Abramson, and his brother, Melvin Abramson.
Norm Abramson was an excellent engineer and an outstanding leader. Widely admired for his technical and people skills, he graced any gathering where he participated.