Dr. Crossley has received seven patents, five of which were in titanium base alloys [surprisingly first used in orthodontia] that greatly improved the aircraft and aerospace industry.
ATTLEBORO, MA, December 02, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Frank Crossley has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
After more than four decades of professional experiences in the field of metallurgical engineering, Dr. Crossley retired in 1991. Prior to entering the field professionally, however, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering with a minor in art and a Master of Science in metallurgical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Subsequently, he obtained a Ph.D. at age 25 in metallurgical engineering, where he was the first person of any race to obtain that degree at the Institute, and most likely the youngest recipient in the country to have ever earned it. Few African-Americans were visible in his field in the 1950s, but he excelled.
During World War II, Crossley was enrolled in a little-publicized government experiment (to minimize a possible backlash), through the V-12 Navy College Training Program, to prepare blacks for service as officers. He was the only black among an entering class of 1,500, and served as a Navy ensign in the Philippines at the close of the war.
Dr. Crossley started in the field of engineering in 1948, as an instructor for his alma mater. For the next two years, from 1950 until 1952, he became a professor and head of the department for foundry engineering at the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University. The next nearly decade and a half saw him working as a senior scientist for the Illinois Institute of Technology's Research Institute, at which point he transferred to Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, where he worked as a senior member of the research laboratory for eight years. A pioneer in the field of titanium metallurgy, Dr. Crossley worked for the next five years as their manager of department producibility and standards and manager of the department of missile body mechanical engineering. Before departing Lockheed, he worked as a consultant engineer in the missile systems division for seven years.
Prior to his retirement, Dr. Crossley worked with the Aerojet Propulsion Research Institute division of GenCorp in the roles of director of research propulsion materials, research director of materials applications and technical principal. A fellow of the American Society for Metals International (ASMI) and a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and, since 1947 of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), he has achieved much. Dr. Crossley has received seven patents, five of which were in titanium base alloys [surprisingly first used in orthodontia] that greatly improved the aircraft and aerospace industry. In 2016, TMS held its "DMMM2" Conference at Northwestern University in Dr. Crossley's honor. Additionally, he has won numerous awards, including the R.B. Young Technology Innovation Award from GenCorp Aerojet in 1990 and has been featured in publications such as Who's Who in Science and Engineering and Who's Who in the World. Even though Dr. Crossley has contributed to 60 metallurgical journals and chapters in books such as We Could Not Fail: The First African Americans in the Space Program, he would say his proudest moment was the creation of Transage titanium alloys and grain refiner for titanium alloy castings, for which he received the Titanium Award.
Other proud moments: Dr. Crossley believed in encouraging the dreams of others and, in retirement, served as a successful and popular volunteer math and science tutor to both advanced and at-risk students until age 87. As a young engineer, he also encouraged three African-American neighbors to pursue PhDs in STEM areas.
About Marquis Who's Who :
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America , Who's Who in the World , Who's Who in American Law , Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare , Who's Who in Science and Engineering , and Who's Who in Asia . Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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