James W. Plummer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 5th Director of the National Reconnaissance Office | |
| In office December 21, 1973[1] – June 28, 1976[1] | |
| President | Richard M. Nixon Gerald R. Ford |
| Preceded by | John L. McLucas |
| Succeeded by | Thomas C. Reed |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 29, 1920 Idaho Springs, Colorado, United States |
| Died | January 16, 2013 (aged 92) Medford, Oregon, United States |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley University of Maryland |
| Profession | Engineering |
| Awards | Charles Stark Draper Prize |
James W. Plummer (January 29, 1920 – January 16, 2013) was an engineer who served as the fifth Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Plummer was the first Director NRO to come from the private industry. He previously served as the Lockheed Corporation program manager for the CORONA and LANYARD imaging systems. Plummer focused on developing the second generation of U.S. satellites – the electro-optical systems.[2] He earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland in 1953.[3] In 2005 he received the Charles Stark Draper Prize for his contributions to the CORONA project.[4] He died at Medford, Oregon in 2013. He was 92.[5]
- ^ a b Laurie, Clayton. Leaders of the National Reconnaissance Office 1961-2001. Office of the Historian, National Reconnaissance Office. 1 May 2002.
- ^ National Reconnaissance Office: James W. Plummer official biography Archived 2009-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Innovation Hall of Fame, University of Maryland, retrieved February 15, 2010.
- ^ Previous Recipients of the Charles Stark Draper Prize, National Academy of Engineering, retrieved February 15, 2010.
- ^ "James W. Plummer". MailTribune.com. Retrieved 2013-01-31.