Gordon John Van Wylen (February 6, 1920 – November 5, 2020)[1] was an American engineer and educator, known for his textbooks on thermodynamics.
He served in the United States Navy during World War II.
“A final point to be made is that the second law of thermodynamics and the principle of increase in entropy have great philosophical implications.
The author has found that the second law tends to increase his conviction that there is a Creator who has the answer for the future destiny of man and the universe.”[3] He was chair of the Engineering Department at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1972.
He was appointed president of Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 1972, serving until his retirement in 1987.