Harold Wilson Ritchey Obituaries

Dr. Harold W. Ritchey: Thiokol pioneer of modern rocketry dies at age 89

OGDEN -- A pioneer in the field of modern rocketry, Ogden resident Dr. Harold W. Ritchey died Saturday, after an accidental choking, at the age of 89.

Widely regarded as the father of solid-propellant rocketry, Ritchey worked for Thiokol Corp. for 28 years and took the company from the foundation of solid-rocket technology to the design of Thiokol's solid-rocket booster motors which have powered more than 100 space shuttle missions into orbit.

The company today operates as ATK Thiokol Propulsion, an operating arm of Alliant Techsystems Inc., headquartered in Edina, Minn. Alliant employs about 4,500 in Utah. About $800 million of Alliant's estimated $2 billion in annual sales come from Thiokol operations.

Ritchey started with Thiokol in 1949 as the technical director of the company's Redstone division in Huntsville, Ala., and retired in 1977 as Thiokol's chairman.

He convinced the company to establish its solid-rocket research, development and design facility near Promontory, west of Brigham City, a move which has brought thousands of jobs to Thiokol and its spin-offs in Northern Utah.

Ogden resident and Management & Training Corp. Chairman Bob Marquardt, who founded MTC in 1981 from the education division of Thiokol, worked closely with Ritchey at Thiokol for more than 25 years.

"He was the technical person and I was the head of marketing for a number of years," Marquardt said.

"He was a brilliant scientist. He was really the father of solid rocketry. What a tribute it is to be able to sell a product, when you know the product being sold is the absolute best. And it always was. So I felt very privileged to be able to sell his solid rockets."

Born Oct. 5, 1912, Ritchey was raised on a family farm outside Kokomo, Ind.

He and his late-wife, Helen, had two sons and lived in Ogden from 1960 to 1966, when they moved to Pennsylvania, where Ritchey worked at Thiokol's headquarters.

After his retirement, Ritchey returned to Ogden, where he lived until his death.

Marquardt said Ritchey was a major donor to many Ogden charities and to many universities around the nation.

With dual master's degrees in physical chemistry and chemical engineering, and a doctorate in physical chemistry, Ritchey is the holder of several patents in rocketry and astronautics, as well as in the petroleum and nuclear industries.

"Most of the world will not realize," Marquardt said, "but he was certainly a leader in the science field, and he attracted many other leaders because of his knowledge, which really gave Thiokol a leg up.

"He'll be sorely missed by all of us who knew him well. He certainly was a pillar in his business. He was just a giant in the world of solid rocketry."

Dr. Harold W. Ritchey

OGDEN - Dr. Harold W. Ritchey was born October 5, 1912, the son of Glen Robert and Mabel Ann Wilson Ritchey. He had one sister, Helen May. He was raised on the farm that was homesteaded by his great-grandfather, James Wilson, just outside Kokomo, IN.

He was married to the former Helen Hively, a native of Nebraska.

He is survived by his sons and their wives, David and Sue Ritchey, Bozeman, MT, Stephen and Ingrid Ritchey, Costa Rica. He has three grandsons and one granddaughter.

Dr. Ritchey was educated at Purdue and Cornell Universities. At Purdue, he earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering in 1934, a master of science in physical chemistry in 1936, and a doctorate in physical chemistry in 1938. From Cornell in 1945, he earned a master of science degree in chemical engineering. He holds an honorary degree of doctor of engineering from Purdue University, an honorary doctor of science from Utah State University, and honorary doctor of humanities from Weber State University. He received the Outstanding Chemical Engineer award from Purdue University. In addition to these honors, he has been elected to Phi Lamda Upsilon, national chemical engineering honor society, and to Sigma Xi, a national research honorary society. In 2001 the Utah State Science Fair was named The Harold W. and Helen H. Ritchey Science Fair.

Dr. Ritchey served in the U.S. Navy for five years, before, during, and after World War II. He obtained the rank of Lt. Commander. Some of this period was spent as officer in charge of the Harbor Defense School San Pedro, where he personally wrote most of the instruction manuals. He also taught at the Navy post graduate school, such subjects as chemical engineering thermodynamics, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry. He taught the first course in rocketry to be taught at that institution.

He was employed at Union Oil from 1938-1941 as a research chemist. While there he developed the lubricating oil detergents now known as detergent motor oil. Dr. Ritchey was Chairman of the Board of Thiokol Corporation until his retirement in Nov 1977, following 28 years of service. Prior to joining Thiokol in 1949, he had been chief of the Nuclear Reactor Engineering Department at the General Electric Co. Hanford Works in Richland, WA.

From a modest beginning at Thiokol's Redstone Division in Huntsville, AL in 1949, he and a handful of others planted the seeds that blossomed into today's highly sophisticated field of solid-propellant rocketry. From the development of the first large solid-propellant rocket (the RVA-10, begun in 1950 and successfully flight tested in 1953), he guided Thiokol's rocket programs through their first large contract (for Falcon air to air missiles), the Polaris test-vehicle program, the Minuteman first stage development, and the Space Shuttle solid Rocket Motor design, this effort culminating in the company's present position as the nation's leading producer of solid-propellant rocket motors. Many feel that these efforts were also a major factor in winning the cold war. Dr. Ritchey's career with Thiokol closely paralleled the company's growth in the rocket industry. He progressed from technical director of the Redstone Division to technical director of the Rocket Divisions, and then to vice president and member of the board in 1958. He made a presentation to the board of directors which resulted in their decision to establish their own rocket plant. He was given the assignment of finding the location which resulted in his choice of land east of Brigham City, UT where now stands what is believed to be the worlds largest facility for the research, development, and production of solid propellant rockets.

In 1954, Dr. Ritchey received the C.N. Hickman Award of the American Rocket Society for outstanding contributions to the field of solid-propellant rocketry, and specifically for the developments which removed the size limitations of solid-propellant rockets. He was a member of the ARS national board of directors from 1956-1960, was elected vice president in 1960, and succeeded to the presidency in 1961. During his tenure in office, he was active in promoting the merger of the ARS with the Institute of the Aerospace and Astronautics, and Dr. Ritchey served as chairman of its Long Range Planning Committee. He received the highest honor of the AIAA when they awarded him with an Honorary Fellowship in 2001. Dr. Ritchey is cited at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry as the Father of Solid-Propellant Rocketry.

He has contributed to numerous publications. Among his writing is a textbook chapter, "Solid-Propellant Rocket Technology," co-authored for ADVANCES IN SCIENCE, vol. 5, F.I. Ordway, 1963. He holds several patents in rocketry, astronautics, and in the petroleum and nuclear fields.

A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held in June. Exact time and date will be announced. Funeral directors, Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. E-mail condolences to the family at: www.lindquistmortuary.com