October 1982
From The Space Library
Leroy R. Grumman, 87, founder of the Grumman Aerospace firm and designer of carrier-based airplanes with stubby teardrop-shaped fuselages used by the U.S. Navy in World War II, died October 4 in Manhasset, N.Y., after a long illness. He had started his business with a few other persons in 1929 as a repair shop for amphibious aircraft built by the Loening brothers' company; by the end of the war, Grumman employed 20,000, and it was still Long Island's largest employer. The company built more planes in a single month than any other U.S. firm (664, in March 1945) and made 98% of the Navy's bombers.
In 1966, when Grumman resigned as chairman of the board, the firm was building the lunar module that carried Apollo crews to the Moon. His awards included the Guggenheim Medal for Aeronautics and the Presidential Medal of Merit. (W Post, Oct 5/82, C-7; NY Times, Oct 5/82, D-25)
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