Dr. Robert Levine (1921-2016)
Dr. Robert Levine, the former chief of the Fire Research Resources at the Center for Fire Research in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), passed away on 29 January 2016. A dedicated member of The Combustion Institute, Levine’s work laid the foundation for the cornerstone of fire science fundamentals.
Dr. Levine had a great dedication to The Combustion Institute. He and several others established the Western States Section of The Combustion Institute (WSSCI) in 1956, the first regionally organized section. He then served as its chair (1961-1965). In the late 1960s, when Dr. Levine worked for Rocketdyne, he and others organized the Eastern States Section (ESSCI) in 1967. He then served as its first chair (1967-1969). In 1974, Dr. Levine was elected CI President at the 15th International Symposium on Combustion at Toshi Center Hall, Japan. He served in that role until 1978.
In 1943, Levine earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Iowa State University. He was then awarded a fellowship to the Gas Institute of Technology in Illinois. During World War II, Levine worked as a radar specialist in the Pacific Theater at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Radiation Lab. After the war in 1946, he remained at MIT and earned an S.M. in chemical engineering. In 1949, he earned an Sc.D. in chemical engineering. After leaving MIT in 1949, Dr. Levine went on to work at Rocketdyne, where he was promoted to Associate Director of the Research Division.
During his employment with Rocketdyne, Dr. Levine served on a three man team that solved an instability problem of the throat nozzle of the thrust chamber of the F-1 launch rocket engine of NASA’s Saturn V rocket. In 1966, Dr. Levine moved to NASA to serve as chief of Liquid Propulsion Technology in the Office of Advanced Research and Technology. In this role, he planned and supervised the NASA program of liquid propulsion research, related to liquid rockets, components and systems. In 1971, he shifted to the Space Applications Division at NASA Langley.
In 1975, Dr. Levine joined the National Bureau of Standards (currently the National Institute of Standards and Technology) as the founding chief of the Fire Science Division of the bureau’s new Center for Fire Research. In 1983, he was made chief, office of Fire Research Resources, which was responsible for the grants program. Subsequently, he worked as a staff scientist until he retired from NIST in 1997 at the age of 76.
During the early 1980’s, Dr. Levine served as the chair of the Joint American/Soviet Committee on Fire Research in Housing. In his retirement years, he consulted on scientific matters for the Navy. Dr. Levine also maintained scientific memberships with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the American Chemical Society (ACS), where he was a member for 73 years. He was also a member of the MIT Club of Washington, DC, and the Propulsion Club.
For more information about the life and work of Dr. Levine, read the short obituary published by the Washington Post. The Combustion Institute honors Dr. Levine’s accomplishments and the work of scientific leaders who make significant contributions for the advancement of many diverse communities around the world.