H. David Reed
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2010
B.S. Mechanical Engineering 1964, University of Wyoming
MBA 2002, University of Massachusetts
Raised in Billings, Montana, H. David “Dave” Reed earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from UW. Upon graduation in 1964, he joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston, TX, becoming a mission controller responsible for tracking and trajectory dynamics.
In this capacity he was the Flight Dynamics Officer for Apollo Flights 5 and 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14. He was the prime flight dynamics officer for Apollo 13 and was a joint recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom as a result of his contributions in the safe return of the crew. Reed was responsible for developing pin-point landing techniques which made focused lunar research possible. The Apollo 14 crew named a crater on the moon for Dave in recognition of his many contributions to the Apollo program.
Joining the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1971, he pioneered the introduction of integrated satellite communication systems, radio frequency identity tags and GPS positioning in the enforcement of UN sanctions against Serbia/Montenegro. Traveling world-wide in support of the multiple Government agencies, he employed these technologies in Bosnia, Haiti, Mogadishu, Somalia, S. Korea, and the Arabian Peninsula.
Dave who holds multiple patents retired in 1999, earned his MBA and then started a small manufacturing company. He remains active in community service and is a frequently sought to speak about his experiences.
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.