WHAT'S INSIDE

Chairman's Corner
Academics: Where are we now?
Accreditation underway
Exit Survey Results
Advisory Board recommendations
Minnesat
Student experience
Reduced Gravity
Senior Design I
Senior Design II
Hypersonics Center update
MnSGC update
Research Focus
Research Focus
Adventures with the AIAA
Undergraduate Reception
Outstanding alumni honored:
Thomas Lundgren
Richard DeLeo
J. Michael Jordan
Professor Beavers retires
Faculty News
Faculty Research
Alumnus wins business award
Alumnus elected as honorary Fellow
Donation opportunities information
AEM looking to renovate
MnSGC awards
Scholarships and fellowships
Graduate and student awards list
Wife of former faculty member dies
AEM Home Page

Wife of former faculty member passes away

Luise Heinrich, wife of former faculty member Helmut Heinrich, died in early October of 2006.
From her obituary :

Luise Heinrich (92) of Whitefish, MT, formerly of Minneapolis, born March 1, 1914 in Alsace, Germany, died October 9, 2006.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Helmut G. Heinrich; daughter, Hildegard Crowley; and granddaughter, Kristin Schutz. Survived by daughter Eva (Paul) Lane; son Klaus (Joaquenia) Heinrich; son in law Tom (Erica) Crowley; grandchildren, Jennifer Jahr; Christopher (Jennifer) Crowley; Devin (Karin) Crowley; and great grandchildren, Ryan and Alyssa Jahr; Casey and Ryan Crowley; and Kiran Crowley. Luise immigrated to the United States with her husband and children in 1947 as part of “Project Paperclip”, which brought German scientists to the US after WW II. She loved nature, gardening and music and incorporated those passions into her own art. She will be remembered as a spunky lady with an unforgettable smile.

Luise's husband, Dr. Helmut G. Heinrich, joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 1956; he left Germany after the war as part of Project Paperclip. Professor Heinrich taught courses and conducted pioneering work on deployable aerodynamic deceleration devices, primarily parachutes. A number of undergraduate and graduate students worked on government contracts and grants under the direction of Dr. Heinrich. He invented the guide-surface parachute and several related devices that significantly improved parachute construction and performance. Heinrich developed supersonic parachutes that were considered for use in the Apollo program and his contributions to parachute systems were used for soft-landing scientific probes on Venus and Mars. Helmut Heinrich died of a heart attack on March 7, 1979 in Houston where he had just received the first AIAA Aerodynamic Deceleration Systems Award. He was a fellow of the AIAA, a Fellow of the RAES, and a charter member of the AIAA Committee on Aerodynamic Deceleration Systems formed in 1965.