Hugh
DeHaven
Class of 1990
Background:
Hugh DeHaven was born March 3, 1895, in Brooklyn, New York,
USA. He attended both Cornell University (1914-15) and Columbia
University (1915-16). Mr. DeHaven died February 13, 1980,
at his home in Lyme, Connecticut, USA.
Professional
Experience:
Mr. DeHaven's interest in crash injury prevention began in
1917, when, as a young cadet (American volunteer) in the Canadian
Royal Flying Corps, his Curtiss Model JN4 airplane was rammed
from behind by another airplane during gunnery practice. As
a result of the subsequent crash, DeHaven suffered two broken
legs and a ruptured liver, pancreas and gallbladder. The other
pilot walked away from his crashed plane. DeHaven concluded
that his own internal injuries were caused by a poorly designed
"safety belt" and observed that solid structures
in front of the pilot's head were often the cause of serious
injury. This experience led to his lifetime of research in
the area of crashworthiness. In April 1942, he was appointed
a research associate at Cornell University Medical College,
which led to the establishment of the Cornell Crash Injury
Research (CIR) Program. In 1945, he co-sponsored the New York
State charter of the Flight Safety Foundation, retiring as
Vice President in 1948.
Career
Highlights:
His outstanding research efforts on "survivability"
in aircraft accidents have resulted in many design modifications,
and his theories are now being applied to design of all automotive
equipment, civilian and military. He is often referred to
as the "Father of Crashworthiness Research," whose
work has saved many thousands of lives throughout the world.
He wrote hundreds of research reports and articles for professional
journals on "crashworthiness." Mr. DeHaven was a
pioneer in the field of automobile and aircraft occupant protection.
His crash protection research and particularly his demonstrations
that human bodies could withstand forces of severe car crashes
without death or serious injury if they were properly "packaged"
in their automobiles provided a springboard for much of the
current effort to increase the crashworthiness of automobiles,
including efforts to make air bag technology available to
car owners and occupants.
He served
a number of professional and research organizations such as
the National Academy of Sciences. His awards were numerous.
The Award for Automotive Engineering Excellence from the U.S.
Department of Transportation was presented by Secretary Brock
Adams, May 14, 1979. Other awards included: the Air Safety
Award for Distinguished Service from the Flight Safety Foundation;
The Elmer A. Sperry Award in 1967; The Arthur Williams Memorial
Medal awarded by the World Safety Research Institute in 1968.
