George W. Lewis

In 1910, Lewis graduated from Cornell University with a master's degree in mechanical engineering and proceeded to teach at Swarthmore College until 1917.

During those years, Lewis was stationed in Washington, D.C., to handle many of NACA's political and bureaucratic issues.

During his time as director, engineers at the Langley facility were responsible for numerous advancements in the understanding of aerodynamics.

These achievements earned Lewis international renown, and NACA expanded from a few employees to several thousand during his tenure.

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio is partly named after him.