Background
Widnall, Sheila Evans was born on July 13, 1938 in Tacoma. Daughter of Rolland John and Genievieve Alice (Krause) Evans.
educator secretary university official
Widnall, Sheila Evans was born on July 13, 1938 in Tacoma. Daughter of Rolland John and Genievieve Alice (Krause) Evans.
Bachelor of Science in Aero. and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1960; Master of Science in Aero. and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1961; Doctor of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1964; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), New England College, 1975; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Lawrence University, 1987; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Cedar Crest College, 1988; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Smith College, 1990; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Mount Holyoke College, 1991; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Illinois Institute Technology, 1991; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Columbia University, 1994; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Simmons College, 1994; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Suffolk U., 1994; Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Princeton University, 1994.
She served as United States Secretary of the Air Force between 1993 and 1997, making her the first female Secretary of the Air Force and the first woman to lead an entire branch of the United States. military in the Department of Defense. She was appointed as the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1986 and joined the Engineering Systems Division, was Chair of the Faculty 1979–1981, and has served as Massachusetts Institute of Technology"s Associate Provost from 1992–1993. In 1988 she was the President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
On July 4, 1993, in the wake of the Tailhook scandal, President Bill Clinton announced her nomination to be Secretary of the Air Force.
The Senate received her nomination July 22, 1993, and confirmed her two weeks later on August 5, 1993, 183 days after inauguration and 197 after the office became vacant. During her tenure she handled the Kelly Flinn scandal.
She currently works with the Lean Advancement Initiative. Her husband earned a doctorate degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in aerospace engineering and headed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Draper team that developed the Apollo GN&C system.
The couple has two grown children, William and Ann Marie.
Widnall"s research has been focused on Fluid mechanics, in particular the aerodynamics of high-speed vehicles, helicopters, aircraft wakes, and turbulence. One of her most notable works is on the elliptical instability mechanism with Raymond Pierrehumbert.
Board visitors United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1978-1984, board chairperson, 1980-1982. Trustee Boston Museum Science, since 1989. Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science (board directors 1982-1989, president 1987-1988, chairman 1988-1989), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (board directors 1975-1977, Lawrence Sperry award 1972, Durand Lectureship forPub.
Svc. award 1996), American Physical Society (Executive Committee 1979-1982). Member American Society of Mechanical Engineers, National Academy of Engineering (county 1992-1993, vice president since 1998), NAS (panel on science responsibility), American Academy Arts and Sciences, Society Women Engineers (Outstanding Achievement award 1975), International Academy Astronautics, Seattle Mountaineers.
Married William SouleWidnall, June 11, 1960. Children: William, Annual.
