Bernard Smith was an US rocket scientist

Aerospace engineering

Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...

 and speed sailboat

Speed sailing

Speed sailing is the art of sailing a craft as fast as possible over a predetermined route, and having its overall or peak speed recorded and accredited by a regulatory body. The term usually refers to sailing on water, even though sailing on land and ice is progressively faster because of the...

 designer, father of the Aerohydrofoil sailboat concept.

Life

Smith was born in New York City, to Jewish Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n immigrants

Immigration

Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...

. He moved to California in 1935, where he worked as a welder

Welder

A welder is a tradesman who specializes in welding materials together. The materials to be joined can be metals or varieties of plastic or polymer...

 for the Fruehauf Trailer company

Fruehauf Corporation

Fruehauf Corporation was an American corporation engaged in the manufacture and sale of truck trailers with headquarters located in Detroit, Michigan., and bankrupted in 1997.-History:...

.

After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, with an honorary degree in physics

Physics

Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...

 from Reed College

Reed College

Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...

 in Oregon, he started working as a civilian scientist in the US Navy, serving at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake

- About : is part of under Commander, Navy Installation Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest,...

 and later at the Naval Weapons Laboratory at Dahlgren

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division

The United States Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division , named for Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, is located in Dahlgren, Virginia and is part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The NSWCDD was founded as the U.S...

, where he served as the technical director from 1964 until his retirement in 1973.

Publications

• Smith, Bernard, The 40 Knot Sailboat, Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., Publishers, New York NY, 1963, 140 pp, 52 illustrations. Library of Congress No. 63-18980