Irmgard Flugge-Lotz
Personal Information
Born: 1903
Died: 1974
Country of Birth: Germany
Nationality: German/American
Ethnicity: White
Education
Leibniz University Hannover Diplom-Ingenieur in Applied Mathematics & Fluid Dynamics 1927; PhD in Engineering 1929
""I wanted a life which would never be boring. That meant a life in which always new things would occur ... I wanted a career in which I would always be happy even if I were to remain unmarried." (Wikipedia); "
— Irmgard Flugge-Lotz
Professional Life
Field of Study: Mathematician; Aerospace Engineer
Institution/Corporation: Stanford University
Degrees & Memberships: Honorary Degree: University of Maryland 1973; Member: American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (1970); IEEE; Sigma Xi
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1970 Achievement Award, Society of Women Engineers; 2014 named an Engineering Hero, Stanford University; 1971 only woman elected to give the annual von Karman Lecture
Achievements: a pioneer in the development of the theory of discontinuous automatic control (also known as "on-off" and "bang-bang" systems), which has found wide application in hysteresis control systems; such applications include guidance systems, electronics, fire-control systems, and temperature regulation; published what is now known as the "Lotz method" in 1931 for calculating the lift on a three-dimensional wing, and it became a standard technique used internationally; while at Stanford conducted research in numerical methods to solve boundary layer problems in fluid dynamics, making pioneering contributions with finite difference methods and the use of computers; published the first textbook on discontinuous automatic control in 1953; 1968, the year of her retirement, she published her second book, Discontinuous and Optimal Control; made significant advancements in methods for the prediction of aerodynamic pressures on bodies, wings and turbine blades, some of which were adopted as standard procedures throughout the world;
1961 first female engineering professor at Stanford University
first female engineer elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
mother's family was involved in construction for several generations & she was encouraged to pursue technical subjects by her mother from an early age on
often visited construction sites with her uncle and attended half-price matinee shows for technical films
worked for the Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt (AVA) in Göttingen, one of the most prominent aeronautical research institutions in Europe
she & her husband were banned from academic positions due to Nazi policies but were allowed to continue their research efforts under the protection of Hermann Göring; 1947 the couple moved with many of their colleagues to Paris to join the Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA)
1948 the couple got jobs at Stanford University but due to university policy that didn't allow married couples to both hold professional rank in the same department he became a professor & she was just a lecturer
1960 was the only female delegate from the United States at the first Congress of the International Federation of Automatic Control in Moscow
was appointed a full Professor in both Engineering Mechanics and in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1961; after her retirement in 1968 continued to conduct research on satellite control systems, heat transfer, and high-speed vehicle drag
after WW1 began & her father was drafted she tutored mathematics and Latin to help the family financially
became a US citizen in 1954
while at Stanford established graduate programs in mathematical aerodynamics and hydrodynamics
1971 was the first woman to be selected to give the prestigious von Karman Lecture
has been called the first woman of control engineering
the Lotz Method is a method for the calculation of the spanwise lift distribution on wings