Werner Richard Kirchner
Company executive
Born Jul. 18, 1918, Opole, Poland; came to U.S., 1946; son of Ryszard and Emilia (Foit); married Deirdre (Wilkinson); child: Christopher.
Education: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Lwow Technical University (Poland), 1939; Ph.D., Imperial College of Sciences, London (U.K.), 1946; Doctor of Science (D.Sc.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, 1948.
Career: vice president, Aeroproject Corporation, Azuza, Sacramento (CA), 1949-70; president, Coast Pro-Seal Teledyne, Compton (CA), 1971-76; president, Kirchner Industries, San Dimas (CA), 1978 -; board chairman, American Rocket Company, Ventura (CA), 1992 -.
Author: numerous papers on solid, liquid and nuclear rockets.
Member of: associate fellow, American Institute of Astronautics & Aeronautics.
Honors: Cross of Valor (3 times); Air Force Medal; Invasion Medal; Meritorious Public Service award, United States Navy (USN), 1960; Combined Wyld & Propulsion Award, American Institute for Aeronautics & Astronautics, 1961; Montgomery Award, National Society for Aerospace Professionals, 1966.
Served with: Royal Air Force (RAF), Poilish Squadron, flight Iieutenant captain, 1940-45.
Affiliation: Republican. Roman Catholic.
Languages: Polish, English, French, German.
Hobbies: tennis, fencing.
Home: 1200 Rancho Road, Arcadia, CA 91006.
From: "Who's Who in Polish America" 1st Edition 1996-1997, Boleslaw Wierzbianski editor; Bicentennial Publishing Corporation,
New York, NY, 1996