NASA Glenn Names 10 New Hall of Fame Inductees
NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland today announced its third class of Hall of Fame inductees. The 2021 Hall of Fame class includes 10 former employees who have elevated the center through their accomplishments or inspired others through their character.
Hall of Fame inductees are nominated by current Glenn employees and then chosen by committee. This year’s induction coincides with Glenn’s 80th anniversary.
The 2021 class includes:
Bruce Banks – Glenn’s most patented researcher and champion of technology transfer. Banks grew up in Rocky River and now lives in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.
Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria – Leader in battery research and project management and the center’s first Latina senior executive. Sanabria lived in Strongsville, Ohio, while working for NASA. She was born in Puerto Rico and lives there today.
Dr. Henry Kosmahl – Pioneer of traveling wave tube technology whose work led to the center’s emergence as a leader in space communications. Born in Germany, Kosmahl lived in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, and passed away in 2011.
Dr. Patricia O’Donnell – Leader in high-energy propellants, energy conversion, and batteries, and Glenn’s first patented female inventor. She lives in North Olmsted, Ohio.
Tony Powell – Innovator of silicon carbide applications that resulted in a multimillion-dollar industry with aeropropulsion, power generation, and space applications. Powell grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Bobby Sanders – Advanced nozzle and inlet research fundamental to the development of many subsequent high-speed inlet designs. Born in West Virginia, Sanders lived in North Olmsted, Ohio, and passed away in 2020.
John Sloop – Grandfather of Glenn’s rocket propulsion expertise and leading advocate for liquid hydrogen as a propellant for upper stage rockets such as Saturn and Centaur. Sloop was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, and lived in Fairview Park, Ohio, while working for Glenn in the 1950s. He passed away in 1992.
Frank Spurlock – Developer of the launch vehicle trajectory optimization program used to launch over 60 preeminent NASA missions. Spurlock was raised in Holms, New Mexico, and lived in Brooklyn, Ohio. He passed away in 2014.
Jesse Strickland – Influential architect who modernized the center’s approach to facility planning and design. Strickland was born in Philadelphia and raised in Cleveland. He also lived in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, for many years. He passed away in 2011.
Erwin “Erv” Zaretsky – Internationally recognized expert in tribology and bearings research. A native of Chicago, Zaretsky lives in Moreland Hills, Ohio.
A profile of each inductee is available at
https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/glenn-history/hall-of-fame/class-of-2021/
The NASA Glenn Hall of Fame was established in 2015 to recognize individuals who had a lasting influence on the direction and mission of the center, made fundamental advancements in their field, or served as an inspiration to employees though their character and embodiment of the NASA spirit.
A ceremony for this year’s inductees will take place in 2022 due to the ongoing pandemic.
