Frank Crossley (materials scientist)
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Aerospace
Frank Crossley | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 19, 1925 |
| Died | April 14, 2018 (aged 93) |
| Alma mater | Illinois Institute of Technology (BS, MS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Metallurgy Aerospace |
| Institutions | Tennessee State University Lockheed Missiles and Space Company Aerojet |
| Thesis | Grain Refinement by the Particle Reaction in Aluminum and the Aluminum Base Alloys |
Frank Crossley (19 February 1925 — 15 April 2018[1]) was an American engineer and pioneer in the field of titanium metallurgy.[2] He was the first African-American to receive a PhD in metallurgical engineering.[3]
Crossley received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1945 with a minor in art[4] from the Illinois Institute of Technology after being motivated by Lloyd A. Hall, an African American chemist who spoke to this high school science class.[5] He went on to pursue a M.S. in 1947 and Ph.D. 1950 in Metallurgy all from the Illinois Institute of Technology. His PhD research was on development of titanium alloys. He was the first person to earn a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology and the first person of African ancestry to earn a Ph.D. in metallurgy. He also graduated as an Ensign in 1945 from the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School.[6] During World War II, Crossley was enrolled in the V-12 Navy College Training Program in 1944 that paid for his tuition and led to a commission as an officer.[7][8]