William B. McLean

William Burdette McLean (1914–1976) was a United States Navy physicist, who conceived and developed the heat-seeking Sidewinder missile.

The son of a Presbyterian minister, McLean attended Caltech, where he took three degrees in physics, finishing with a doctorate in 1939.

[1] During World War II, McLean worked on ordnance equipment and testing at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C.

He then served as technical director for the Navy's submarine-warfare research center in San Diego until 1974.

[3] The Memorial Award for Dr. William B. McLean was established in 1968, to recognize creativity in employees who furthered the mission at China Lake with significant inventions.