EDO Corporation Elects Neil A. Armstrong Chairman of the Board
EDO Corporation
today announced that its Board of Directors has elected
Neil A. Armstrong Chairman of the Board. Armstrong succeeds Frank
Fariello, EDO’s Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer.
Jim Smith, EDO’s president and Chief Executive Officer said, “Neil
Armstrong’s defense and aerospace expertise, including his 17 years at
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as an
engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator, will be invaluable
in guiding EDO’s growth.
“On behalf of everyone associated with EDO, I want to thank Frank
for his many years of service and for his immeasurable contributions
to EDO’s success.”
Armstrong, formerly Chairman of Long Island N.Y.-based AIL
Technologies Inc., was previously NASA Deputy Associate Administrator
for Aeronautics, where he was responsible for coordinating and
managing NASA aeronautical research and technology. From 1971 to 1979,
he was Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of
Cincinnati. Armstrong commanded the 1966 Gemini 8 spaceflight and was
spacecraft commander for the Apollo 11, which completed the first
manned landing on the moon. At NASA and its predecessors, he piloted
pioneering jet and rocket aircraft, including the X-15, and has flown
over 200 different models of aircraft, including jets, rockets,
helicopters and gliders.
A Fellow of the Society of Experimental Text Pilots and the Royal
Aeronautical Society, Armstrong is also an Honorary Fellow of the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the
International Astronautical Federation, a member of the National
Academy of Engineering and the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco. He
is also a director of RTI International Metals Co. and the USX
Corporation. He has served on a number of National Commissions and has
been decorated by 17 countries. His many honors include the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
Born in Auglaize County, Ohio, he learned to fly as a boy and flew
78 combat missions in Korea as a Carrier-based Naval Aviator. He
received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering
from Purdue University and a Master of Science degree in Aerospace
Engineering from the University of Southern California. He holds
honorary doctorates from a number of universities.
About EDO Corporation
With headquarters in New York City, EDO Corporation
(www.edocorp.com) designs, manufactures and integrates advanced
electronic and mechanical systems and engineered materials for
domestic and international defense, aerospace and industrial markets.
EDO employs approximately 1,650 people at facilities in Deer Park and
North Amityville, N.Y.; Chesapeake and Falls Church, Va.; Huntingdon,
Pa.; Salt Lake City; Baton Rouge, La.; and Westlake and Lancaster,
Calif.
