June 2, 2006 – Reston, VA – Holt Ashley, professor emeritus, Stanford University, and past president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) died of natural causes May 9, 2006.
AIAA mourns the passing of this aerospace legend, gentleman and scholar and extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
AIAA President Roger Simpson says, “Holt Ashley was a pioneer in the fields of structural dynamics, unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity. His contributions had a significant impact on the design of today’s aircraft. His legacy extends beyond design, textbooks and awards to the many students he positively influenced. He will be sorely missed.”
Ashley earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He taught at MIT, then joined Stanford University’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1967. He became emeritus in 1989.
Ashley is best known for his pioneering research and books in the field of aeroelasticity. His many accomplishments include helping to establish the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur. Ashley was president of AIAA in 1973 and was an AIAA Honorary Fellow. His honors include the 1969 AIAA Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Award, the Institute’s 1981 Wright Brothers Lecture Award, the 2003 Daniel Guggenheim Medal, which AIAA jointly sponsors with three other technical societies, and the Institute’s 2006 Reed Aeronautics Award, His work has been widely published.
