(meteorobs) Dr D W R (Don) McKinley

[Lew Gramer]

David, thank you for posting this. I was not even aware that Dr. McKinley was 
still alive! I hope he realizes how much meteor astronomers - not just radio 
observers, but visual, and theorists as well - rely on his book to this day?

(For those who can locate a copy of 'Meteor Science and Engineering', and are 
interested in delving deeply into the science of meteors, I recommend it!)

Clear skies,
Lew Gramer


On Sunday 16 September 2007 06:51, David Entwistle wrote:
> Meteor Observers,
>
> September 22nd, 2007 will mark the 95th anniversary of the birth of one
> of the pioneers of radio-meteor astronomy and the author of what is
> still regarded as the standard reference book on the subject, 'Meteor
> Science and Engineering' - Dr D W R McKinley.
>
> The NRC Archival Services have kindly provided the following biography
> and fellow radio-meteor observer Felix Verbelen provided the following
> links. If anyone knows any more, then please get in touch, as I'd be
> very interested.
>
> Picture of McKinley standing at back left.
>
> <http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/people/faculty/tenn/asphistory/millman.
> html>
>
> <http://quark.physics.uwo.ca/~drm/history/space/w_t2.html>
>
> Biography from NRC Archival Services
>
> Dr. D.W.R. McKinley, former Vice-President (Laboratories) of the
> National Research Council of Canada whose work with radar during the
> second world war earned him the Order of the British Empire, retired in
> December, 1973, after a 35-year career with NRC.
>
> Born in Shanghai in 1912, Dr. McKinley graduated from the University of
> Toronto in 1934. He obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Physics from the same
> university in 1935 and 1938 respectively.
>
> Dr. McKinley joined NRC in 1938 and almost immediately went to work on
> the Cathode Ray Direction Finder. His wartime activities led him to
> England in 1940 where he served as scientific liaison officer (radar).
>
> He returned to Canada in 1941 to be placed in charge of research and
> development of the Long Wave Early Warning Radar System, spending two
> years on this project. Following this, Or. McKinley initiated the
> Microwave Early Warning Radar Project and supervised the research and
> development of the prototype and of the model shop production for the
> RCAF.
>
> He initiated the development of the Microwave Zone Position Indicator
> radar (MZPI) and supervised the early work done on it. He also had
> charge of design and construction of the Microwave Height Finder radar.
>
> His expertise in radar was applied to the construction of equipment for
> the detection of meteors in the upper atmosphere, combined with optical
> observations to explore new areas of research. His book "Meteor Science
> and Engineering" (McGraw Hill 1961 ) is considered to be a standard
> reference work in this field.
>
> Dr. McKinley was appointed Assistant Director of the Radio and
> Electrical Engineering Division in 1954, Associate Director in 1960, and
> Director in 1963. Five years later. he was named Vice-President
> (Laboratories).
>
> He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, of the American Physical
> Society and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
> and a member of the American Astronomical Society, of the Association of
> Professional Engineers of the Province of Ontario, of the Royal
> Astronomical Society of Canada. of the Engineering Institute of Canada,
> of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the
> Canadian Association of Physicists. He also served for seven years as
> Chairman of the Canadian National Committee of the International
> Scientific Radio Union.
>
> Throughout his career, Dr. McKinley has been recognized as a man with
> remarkable foresight in the fields of technological development. Many of
> the successful projects of NRC's Radio and Electrical Engineering
> Division, such as the Algonquin Radio Telescope, can be counted among
> his achievements.