Lee Atwood, Aerospace Legend (2 of 4)
Exuding an aura of intellectual leadership and meticulous perfection, Atwood quickly rose through the ranks, becoming vice president in 1934, assistant general manager in 1938 and "first" vice president in 1941. He became president in 1948, CEO in 1960 and chairman of the board in 1962. Atwood led the1967 North American merger with Rockwell Standard, and became president and CEO of North American Rockwell. He remained in that position until his retirement in 1971.
From an original group of uniquely talented individuals at North American, a proud heritage had evolved. Under Atwood's leadership, new and unique aerodynamic shapes that would greatly influence history were designed and built. The T-6 Texan, B-25 Mitchell, P-51 Mustang; and on to the jet and space age, with the F-86 Sabre, F-100 Super Sabre, rocket propulsion/guidance systems, X-15, trisonic XB-70, Apollo and the B-1 bomber.
Recognized for his contributions to the Apollo program, Atwood was portrayed in the recent HBO Miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon." His career paralleled many of the most significant events in aerospace history -- and his leadership helped to shape them.
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