In its first century and counting, NASA Langley Research Center [LaRC]
has had a remarkable history that has stood out not only for the many
outstanding achievements in flight and space exploration but the people
who made it happen. If there were a list of 100 people who contributed
the most the progress in the world of flight, I believe Langley would
provide the most names. Without question, observed astronaut,
aeronautical engineer and the first man to walk on the Moon, Neil Alden
Armstrong (1930 - 2012) on LaRC's nineteenth anniversary, many of the
giants of aero research spent their careers here, and many others, who
learned their craft here, went on to lead other research efforts at
other governments labs in the industry. Langley has been a powerhouse of
creative thinking. With a centennial theme of inventing the future, NASA
LaRC is poised to enter its second century of ingenuity and invention
with a wealth of pending and proposed research, and near-term
prognostication may prove a bit easier.