Robert Haskins ’39 *40

Bob died April 17, 2006.

A native of Richmond, he received bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from Princeton and went on to earn a master's in aeronautical instrumentation from MIT.

At Sperry Gyroscope Co., where he worked as a project engineer, Bob developed a flight instrument that is standard on aircraft today. As a naval officer, Bob was assigned to the bombing and torpedo section of the Bureau of Aeronautics, working on high-priority projects including defense against kamikaze attack.

From 1946 to 1973 he founded and managed a number of companies whose operations included Air Force development projects that were forerunners of inertial navigation, automated instrumentation cameras, and digital computer systems for simulation and analysis. He was a successful scientist and entrepreneur and the owner of more than a dozen patents.

Bob was always game for adventure — racing powerboats, skydiving off mountains, and flying his Cessna.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sarah, and is survived by their daughter, Casa Huger Bacot; three granddaughters; a grandson; four great-granddaughters; and four great-grandsons. To them all, we offer our sincere sympathy on their loss of this extraordinary man.