De E. Beeler

De E. Beeler served the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and NASA with distinction during a 33-year career as an aeronautical engineer and administrator.

Beeler was the project engineer in charge of the XS-1 aircraft loads program and also served as deputy to Walter Williams, who served as chief of the NACA contingent.

Beeler continued to serve as deputy director as the small contingent of engineers and technicians grew to become, in succession, the NACA Muroc Flight Test Unit in 1947, the NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station in 1949, the NACA High-Speed Flight Station in 1954, the NASA High-Speed Flight Station in 1958, the NASA Flight Research Center in 1959, NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in 1976, and NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in 2014 in Edwards, California.

In addition to serving as the long-time deputy director of the center from 1958 until his retirement in 1974, De also served as chief of the center’s Research Division for a number of years, responsible for research planning, design, and flight investigations of advanced research aircraft projects. He became acting director of the center on April 27, 1971, with former director Paul Bikle serving in an advisory role until Bikle’s official retirement May 31, 1971. Beeler then served as acting director until Oct. 11, 1971, when Lee Scherer was appointed director. Beeler continued as Scherer’s deputy until his retirement Sept. 27, 1974.

Beeler died Sept. 11, 2007, at the age of 92 in Santa Barbara, California, where he made his home since his retirement.